Some Ghanaians call for an Independent Public Prosecutor

Some Ghanaians have called for the appointment of an Independent Public Prosecutor to prosecute corruption cases in the country.

In addition, there should be more covert investigations to detect corruption while a witness protection model is developed and utilised in assisting corruption investigations.  “There should be the preparation of a legislature for witness protection to assist in the prosecution of corruption cases,” they said.

The call was made in a 40-point Communiqué adopted at the end of a three-day Second National Conference on Integrity in Accra.  The participants were drawn from governmental and private anti-corruption agencies in Ghana, Malaysia, Botswana and Sierra Leone.

The conference organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and supported by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) was on the theme: “Building a Robust Ethics Infrastructure to Promote Integrity in Ghana”.

It was to consolidate measures and initiatives undertaken to build a strong national integrity system in Ghana, and chart a way forward to establish a strong national integrity system to reduce opportunities for corruption.

Significant steps towards building a strong integrity system and generally improving the overall governance situation in Ghana began in 1998, when CHRAJ in collaboration with its stakeholders and support from the World Bank, organised the First National Integrity Workshop (FNIW) in Accra.

The communiqué said there were gaps in the anti-corruption laws and the Financial Administration Tribunal had not been established. Participants therefore called on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to accelerate enactment of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers Bill and the Whistleblower (Amendment) Bill.

It called for more covert investigations to detect corruption, as well as the enforcement of anti-corruption laws without fear or favour, while public anti-corruption agencies were provided with more funding and resources.

The communiqué said the asset declaration regime for public officers should be made more robust and the declarations verified and subjected for public scrutiny, adding that the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament should ensure follow-up activities on its operations.

It stressed the need for enhanced international co-operation to deal with trans-national corruption.

Source: GNA