The Particular Execsecutor of Ghana, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, has known as for vital constitutional reforms and a shift in nationwide mindset to strengthen the struggle in opposition to corruption and state seize.
He harassed that these measures are essential to making sure the nation’s improvement.
Talking on the fifth Annual Structure Day Public Lecture in Accra on February 28, Mr Agyebeng proposed embedding the Workplace of the Particular Prosecutor (OSP) throughout the Structure to safeguard its independence and operational effectiveness.
He argued that the present authorized framework, beneath Part 79 of Act 959, is ambiguous and unnecessarily advanced, creating confusion quite than readability.
“We should remodel the constitution by integrating anti-corruption ideas and establishments into its construction. Upon this basis, we are able to construct a sturdy and pragmatic statutory framework to make corruption a high-risk, pricey, and unattractive enterprise,” he acknowledged.
A Complete Anti-Corruption Legislation Addressing the theme: ‘A Few Good Males: Suppressing and Repressing Corruption and State Seize in Support of Growth,’ Mr Agyebeng advocated for the enactment of a complete Corrupt Practices Act.
This laws, he urged, would clearly outline corruption and associated offences, offering a structured and direct strategy to tackling all types of corrupt practices whereas eliminating authorized loopholes.
He acknowledged the numerous challenges in preventing corruption, emphasising the need of public assist and collective sacrifice. He additionally highlighted deliberate efforts to undermine the work of the OSP, together with calls from influential quarters to dissolve the workplace.
“We continuously hear calls—typically from the best ranges—that the OSP needs to be scrapped as a result of it serves no helpful function. There are additionally steady makes an attempt to discredit the Workplace and its principal officers, typically from people beneath investigation or their associates,” he disclosed.
Regardless of these challenges, Mr Agyebeng reaffirmed that the OSP stays Ghana’s greatest alternative to fight corruption, regardless that it’s typically perceived as an inconvenience.
The Particular Prosecutor acknowledged the complexities of proving corruption, significantly the blurred strains between lawful and illegal gifting. He described a tradition the place presents and guarantees are exchanged in ways in which obscure accountability.
Once more, he argued that addressing this problem requires not solely authorized rekinds but in addition a elementary shift in societal attitudes.
As a part of the answer, he known as for the introduction of unexplained wealth investigations and way of life audits, extending past public officers to non-public people with questionable wealth.
He additionally emphasised the necessity for larger transparency in political social gathering financing and a crackdown on the monetisation of public elections.
Moreover, to make sure efficient prosecution, Mr Agyebeng professionalposed the institution of particularised anti-corruption courts, staffed by judges with particular coaching in dealing with corruption circumstances.
He underlined the significance of judicial independence and urged the promotion of a tradition that rewards integrity and upholds fact throughout the judiciary.
He additional urged the integration of anti-corruption research into faculty curricula at each the essential and secondary ranges, aiming to instil sturdy ethical rules in future generations. He harassed that societal curiosity should all the time take priority over private achieve.
The lecture, open to the general public, was organised by the UPSA Legislation College in collaboration with the One Ghana Motion.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
