Domelovo’s Case: I thought we were going to lose it – Martin Kpebu
The lawyer representing the Nine Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who brought the case before the Supreme Court to interpret and enforce the 1992 Constitution in relation to Former Auditor General, Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelovo, has admitted that he was concerned about losing the case.
In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court declared that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo violated the 1992 Constitution when he instructed the Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, to go on leave in 2020.
The seven-member panel of the highest court, in a unanimous decision, concluded that it was unconstitutional for the President to appoint an acting Auditor-General while Mr. Domelevo was still in office.
“We declare the President’s directive to appoint an acting Auditor-General, without the substantive Auditor-General retiring or being removed from office in accordance with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, as unconstitutional, null and void,” the court announced.
Following the ruling, the lead counsel for the CSOs, Mr. Martin Kpebu, expressed his gratitude to the Supreme Court, as he had feared losing the case at one point. He emphasized the seriousness of the case, involving the President, and stressed that it was not a matter to be taken lightly.
“We are extremely grateful to the Supreme Court because this was a very challenging case. To be honest, there was a point where I was afraid we might lose. This case directly opposed the President, so we couldn’t afford to be careless,” Mr. Martin Kpebu stated in an interview with TV3.
The CSOs that filed the lawsuit against the Attorney General regarding the President’s directives included the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Citizen Movement Ghana, Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), and Parliamentary Network Africa.
The case was presided over by Justices Nene Amegatcher, Prof Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, Lovelace Johnson, Gertrude Torkonoo, Prof Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, and Emmanuel Kulendi.
