Looted state money: Attorney General has no case dockets
The US government published its 2010 human rights report on Ghana which indicated that there is corruption in all state agencies, but the government is not acting despite the existence of laws against corruption.
The report said among other things that there is corruption in all branches of government, despite a law providing penalties for official corruption.
The report which was released April 8, 2011 and published on its website, also indicates that the Ghana government did not implement the law effectively adding “some officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices.”
In hearings in May and August, 2010 the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament uncovered numerous cases of embezzlement and misuse of state funds by government ministries, departments, agencies, and district assemblies, the report said. The committee forwarded all cases to the Attorney General; however, no prosecutions had been reported at year’s end, the report said.
In reaction to the report the Attorney General’s (AG) Department has revealed that it is yet to receive any docket on embezzlement cases involving government officials.
In a Daily Graphic publication of April 20, 2011, officials at the AG’s Department said they have not received any docket on adverse findings of looted state funds uncovered by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament in 2010 which were committed by the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs).
“Officials say although they are willing to prosecute, the non-availability of information from the appropriate investigative agencies has stalled their action”, said the Daily Graphic.
Mrs Getrude Aikins, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), told the publication that even though no dockets on such cases have been received, her outfit over the years has shown commitment in prosecuting cases of financial malfeasance.
By EkowQuandzie
Ghana and Africa as well as Black nation will never get any where because of the shallow mentality black people have. Very ignorant, they say one thing and do the other never stop corruption. That is why the continent look very dark and poor always begging, have huge resources yet no money except individuals.
Mrs Konadu Rawlings may have a legitimate point here about her desire to investigate corruption at the highest levels over STX housing deal and, more recently, about billions of dollars in collateral loans for projects yet to be enumerated. What happened to the so-called National ID Cards? What happened to our dusty Roads ? What happened to our filthy gutters (Madina, Odonnor, Nunguah, Nima) etc ? Our priorities are buried under pretence of lacking developed powers of analysis, reasoning, or criticism with tincture of ignorance. Visit any of our hospitals to test survival rates at emergency wards ! Direct a visitor or taxi driver to your own house and test the wisdom behind inability to name your own street without referencing landmarks like kiosks and corner dumpsters ! These are our most immediate national needs – not some hefty allocation of money to house some security agencies or cutting sods to score political points.