Service charter to reduce corruption launched

The Private Enterprises Federation (PEF), a non-profit business institution, has collaborated with some state regulatory agencies to develop a new service delivery charter that will help eliminate undue delays and administrative corruption which adds up to cost of doing business.

The charter which sets out the standards of service is to among other things provide relevant information to clients on appropriate fees and due processes and procedures to go through when dealing with administering agencies.

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Women critical for winning fight against corruption

Accra, Nov. 28, GNA – Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has stated that women are the most affected by corruption so they must be actively involved in its fight.

“Women and girls are among the most affected, not least because they account for the largest proportion of people living in poverty, and because corruption exacerbates existing inequalities as a result of asymmetric power relationships,” she explained.

Mrs Narteh was addressing representatives of development partners, government institutions, civil society organisations and others in anti-corruption at a forum on the Role of Women in the fight against Corruption.

It was organised by the GACC with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Citing the findings of a UNDP research, in 2012, she said about 70 per cent of women, in especially developing countries, responded that corruption had prevented their access to public goods and services.

Sex, they said, was demanded from them as bribes, thus sexualising their encounters with corruption, according to another research conducted by Hossain, Musembi and Hughes in 2010.

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Confiscate ill-gotten wealth

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Gloria Akuffo has urged local and international anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to confiscate proceeds of corruption and money laundering to deter others from engaging in such practices.

The agencies include the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), West Africa Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors (WACAP) and Interpol.

According to her, allowing culprits to only serve jail time and later benefit and enjoy from their activities would send a wrong signal that crime pays.

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CHRAJ chides parliament over reneging on oversight duties

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has chastised Parliament, accusing it of failing in its oversight mandate in the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).

According to Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Richard Quayson, the House has not shown the needed muscle to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan to curb the canker of corruption.

Mr. Quayson made the observation at a forum of the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC).

“I ask this question? Why did Parliament spend about two years to look at the anti-corruption strategy and approve it and now, when it is necessary for then to provide the oversight for its implementation, we don’t feel them as we should?”

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Procurement breaches, a key cause of corruption in Ghana – Civil Societies

The Local Chapter of Transparency International (TI), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the Ghana Anti-corruption Coalition have called on the government to place a premium on checking procurement breaches in the various state institutions as it continues to hamper the country’s effort in tackling corruption, Mypurefmonline.com reports.

In a media engagement in Kumasi on ‘Corruption risk management’, Monday, February 10, 2020, sponsored by Star Ghana Foundation, the GII in partnership with the Ghana Anti-corruption Coalition (GACC) educated the media personnel in identifying the vulnerabilities in the system to guide their probing of national issues especially in areas of Health, Education and Justice delivery.

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Airbus Scandal: There’s Reasonable Suspicion Of Corruption — Amidu Opens Probe

The Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, has begun probing the Airbus scandal on 4 February 2020.

In a press statement, Mr Amidu said there is reasonable suspicion of corruption in the Airbus scandal.

President Nana Akufo-Addo referred the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor after court documents from the UK and the US found Airbus SE guilty in a series of unlawful business deals in countries including Ghana where a relative of a top elected government official was allegedly bribed.

“The Special Prosecutor has determined that the said referral and deferred prosecution of agreements and judgments accompanying them raise reasonable suspicion of the commission of corruption and corruption-related offences of bribery of public officers and the use of public office by public officers for private office which are offences falling within the mandate of this office under the office of the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 Act (595). A preliminary investigation was, accordingly opened on 4 February 2020 by this office into the allegations contained in the judgements referred to this Office aforesaid,” Mr Amidu said in his statement.

The statement further noted that the relevant domestic public institutions have been invited to provide relevant documents to aid in the probe.

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