Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has called for the establishment of anti-corruption courts in Ghana to prosecute individuals suspected of engaging in corruption and related offenses.
Agyebeng expressed his disappointment with Ghana’s corruption score of 43 in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2023, emphasizing the need for more effective measures to combat corruption.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the 2023 CPI, Agyebeng characterized the fight against corruption as an “unruly bread” and highlighted the challenges hindering significant progress in addressing corruption issues. Ghana has maintained a corruption score of 43 since 2020, ranking 70th out of 180 countries and territories included in the CPI.
“The conversation is becoming sterile. The fight against corruption is proving to be an unruly bread indeed and the fight against corruption is not lending herself to agreeable investigation and cohabitation and we are not recording much success, our progress is hampered and we’re unable to move the needle appreciably to improve our scorecard,” he said.
Ghana’s stagnant anti-corruption efforts over the past four years, as indicated by the CPI, align with a global trend of deteriorating justice systems, reducing accountability for public officials and allowing corruption to persist. Transparency International also noted a decline in Ghana’s Rule of Law Index, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reforms.
Ghana scored 43 out of a clean score of 100 and ranked 70th out of 180 countries and territories included in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023, released today, January 30, 2024 by Transparency International (TI).
This marks the fourth consecutive year of stagnation in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts, as indicated by the CPI.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana came 8th out of 49 countries.
According to Transparency International, Ghana’s stagnated score highlights a global trend of deteriorating justice systems which is reducing the accountability of public officials and therefore allowing corruption to thrive.
“The connection is reinforced by Ghana’s performance in the Rule of Law Index produced by the World Justice Project which demonstrates a concerning decline. In the 2015 Rule of Law Index, Ghana scored 0.60 and ranked 34, but by 2023, Ghana’s score had decreased to 0.55, with a corresponding drop in ranking to 61,” it stated.
Reacting to the report, the Special Prosecutor made some demands, including the entrenchment of anti-corruption law enforcement institutions and the establishment of the special anti-corruption courts to swiftly and efficiently deal with corruption cases.
“May we assure the entrenchment of anti-corruption law enforcement institutions in addition to the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice; may we write anti-corruption law enforcement institutions into the constitution especially the flagship office of the special prosecutor; may we enlarge the powers and mandate of anti-corruption law enforcement institutions; may we insulate anti-corruption law enforcement institutions from political marginalization.
“May we include the office of the special prosecutor in the membership of the judicial council; may we assure anti-corruption law enforcement institutions the flow of adequate resources; may we assure in actual practice the independence of the judiciary; may we assure that judges will adjudicate with boldness without fear of reprisals.
“May we assure that judges will adjudicate without fear of compromising their promotion and advancement; may we set up a specialized anti-corruption court manned by specially trained judges in the field to swiftly and efficiently deal with corruption cases; and may we remunerate judges and officers of anti-corruption law enforcement institutions adequately, they are human after all, hunger and squalor begets a natural urge to cut a corner or two or three till it becomes habitual and a culture,” he said.