Former Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, has strongly criticized the impact of influence peddling on corruption in Ghana.
He argued that the abuse of power by those in authority significantly contributes to the rise in corrupt practices.
In an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on August 9, 2024, Mr Domelevo expressed concern over how unchecked influence often leads to unethical behavior and misuse of resources.
He highlighted that influence peddling encourages corrupt activities by preventing officials from fulfilling their responsibilities.
“Influence peddling brings about a lot of corrupt activities. It brings about people not doing what is expected of them, and then we activate this mechanism… where people are called to intervene. At times you are in office and you are told a group of chiefs and elders have come to look for you.
“They come and they tell you that we heard that you are going to surcharge this person, he is one of our people. He is the eye of our place, if you hold him accountable it will be a disincentive for our young ones.”
He believes this undermines public trust and obstructs genuine anti-corruption efforts, leading to widespread corruption.
“Because of that, at the end of the day there is a huge element of corruption,” he added.
Domelevo also emphasized that Parliament needs to enact laws to prevent conflicts of interest and promote transparency and accountability within government institutions.