The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to activate the constitutional process under Article 187(13) of the 1992 Constitution for the immediate removal of the Auditor General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, from office.
The petition was filed on the morning of Thursday, April 3, at the Jubilee House in Accra, accusing the Auditor General of high crimes, misconduct, abuse of office, and breaching the constitution.
In a statement accompanying the petition, ASEPA outlined several charges against Mr Asiedu, supported it with what it calls evidence tand submittedhe same to the presidency.
ASEPA stated, “We have presented the evidence that clearly points to these grave accusations against the Auditor General.”
The charges include:
- Failing to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court, which constitutes high crime under Article 2(4) of the 1992 Constitution. ASEPA remarked, “His failure to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court cannot be ignored; it is a breach of the Constitution.”
- Conniving with the Audit Service Board to usurp the powers of Parliament, in violation of Article 187(15) of the Constitution. ASEPA asserted, “This action directly undermines the authority of Parliament and violates the provisions of the Constitution.”
- Unlawful retention of public funds, in contravention of Section 17(2) of the Audit Service Act. ASEPA said, “This unlawful retention of funds is not just a breach of the law, but a betrayal of public trust.”
- Abuse of discretionary powers and cover-up, in contravention of Article 296 of the Constitution. ASEPA stressed, “Such abuse of office is unacceptable and cannot go unchecked.”
ASEPA also pointed out that the constitutional process for the removal of the Auditor General under Article 187(13) mirrors the process for the removal of the Chief Justice under Article 146 of the Constitution.
“The same constitutional procedures should apply here to ensure accountability,” ASEPA emphasised.
This petition marks the formal initiation of the removal process, as outlined under Article 187(13) in relation to Article 146.
The petition was signed by ASEPA’s Executive Director, Mr Mensah Thompson, who expressed confidence that the process would be conducted transparently and following the Constitution.
Mr Thompson stated, “We are confident that this process will be handled in a transparent and constitutional manner, ensuring that justice is served.”
Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu had his contract extended by former President Akufo-Addo in June 2024, just when he was due for statutory retirement on August 1, 2024.
He was first appointed to the position by Nana Akufo-Addo in September 2021 as the substantive Auditor-General after he had acted following the controversial retirement of the then Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo.
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