Ghana’s former Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, has delivered a critique of the nation’s anti-corruption efforts, alleging that the fight is being deliberately undermined by a judiciary susceptible to political and financial manipulation.
Mr Domelevo did not spare the legal fraternity, claiming that highly resourceful corruption suspects are employing powerful lawyers and ‘procuring’ judges to ensure indefinite delays until a favourable change of government facilitates the collapse of their cases.
Speaking on TV3 on October 25, the respected anti-corruption crusader insisted that unless the judicial system undergoes radical and urgent reform, the retrieval of stolen state funds will remain impossible.
Mr Domelevo laid bare the alleged strategy used by politically connected individuals accused of high-level corruption.
The goal, he contends, is not to win the case on merit but to stretch the proceedings across electoral cycles, exploiting Ghana’s partisan political system.
“They can even procure judges. A judge may say, ‘What I can do is to keep adjourning until your party comes to power; then the case will be thrown out,’” he alleged.
He argued that these deliberate, drawn-out judicial delays serve as a protective shield for the accused, effectively denying justice and preventing the state from recovering vital public funds.
“The money is still in someone’s pocket and not in use. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said, urging Parliament to treat the necessary judicial reforms as a certificate-of-urgency matter.
To combat the deliberate dragging of feet in court proceedings, the former Auditor-General proposed radical reforms to expedite the prosecution of corruption cases.
1. Time Limit and Penalties: Domelevo proposed a strict time frame for the completion of corruption cases, regardless of their complexity, arguing that judges who fail to meet this standard should face severe sanctions.
He proposed a maximum of 9 to 12 months for corruption cases, with penalties for judges who exceed that period without justifiable reason.
He believes judges who stretch cases beyond a year should face misconduct proceedings, holding them personally accountable for procedural delays.
2. A 24-Hour Justice System: To handle the increased workload and clear the corruption case backlog efficiently, Domelevo called for the immediate operationalization of a 24-hour justice system.
“We all don’t have to go to court at 9 a.m. and close by 3 p.m. A 24-hour economy should start in the Judiciary too,” he said.
He noted the recent influx of new lawyers—over 800 were recently called to the Bar—suggesting that they could be recruited as part-time judges to hear cases in the evenings, ensuring continuous judicial activity and eliminating bottlenecks.
His core argument remains that Ghana will not defeat corruption until the justice system itself is fundamentally reformed and made impermeable to influence.
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