The Attorney General is currently leading the effort to enact a law on the Conduct of Public Officers, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed.
Speaking at the National Anti-Corruption Conference on Friday, President Akufo-Addo said though public officials were required to declare their assets upon taking office, existing legislation on corruption, relating to the conduct of public officers in Ghana, appeared inadequate to deal extensively with public office accountability.
According to him, the enactment of a far-reaching and a more fit for purpose set of regulations for the conduct of public officers, would give effect to the provisions of Chapter 24 of the Constitution on Conduct of Public Officers
That, the President revealed, had engaged the Attorney-General over the past four months, to undertake various stakeholder consultations with public sector organisations, civil society and other interest groups.
When passed into law, the Conduct of Public Officers Act will follow the example of legislations in other jurisdictions like the United States Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Public Officers Ethics Act of Kenya, and the U.K. Constitutional and Governance Act of 2010, in addressing issues regarding financial portfolios held by public officers before assuming public office, links to family business.
It will also address improper enrichment, care of public property, professional practices, property, investments/shareholdings and other assets, self-dealing, partiality in the performance of duties, use of public or confidential information to further private interest, amongst others.
“The Bill provides a gamut of stringent administrative measures and sanctions to deal with violations of the law, ranging from a barred against holding public office for limited and indefinite periods, to penal measures.
The Bill also seeks to strengthen the role of the Commisson of Human Rights And Justice in the investigation of allegations of contravention of or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, including conflict of interest, non-declaration of assets, and illicit enrichment.
President Akufo-Addo updated participants at the Conference on some important contributions of the Office of Attorney-General in detecting and prosecuting high-profile corruption cases to protect the public purse
He acknowledged that the State’s purse is very much affected by the award of judgment debts, in various unconscionable transactions.
“The recent example of a financial house, claiming payment of interest of some GH¢1.3 billion, after 11 years, from a transaction involving a meagre GH¢268,000 in 2008, even after the State had already paid some GH¢79 million, comes to mind.”
But through the effort of the Attorney-General, the Supreme Court declared further payment as unlawful, saving the State some US$230 million.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the Attorney-General on 31st July 2021, succeeded in setting aside a judgement debt in excess of US$15.3 million imposed by the High Court, Kumasi, in an action arising out of the activities of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, two years ago.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
