DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE
ii. Findings of the CRM
80. Participants at the various stakeholders' consultations complained about the high
degree of corruption in Ghana's public sphere, at both the national and regional levels.
In Ho and Cape Coast, stakeholders generally felt that corruption is rampant in
decentralised organs of government, such as the MMDAs. Participants in Wa generally
feel that unless one has contacts in Accra, one will not be attended to.
81. The prevalence and persistence of corruption in the country has prompted a
combined group of state and non-state organisations to form an Anti-Corruption
Coalition. But, as was pointed out in the CRM discussions, a problem with lingering
corruption in the country is the absence of comprehensive legislation on the issue, with
corruption being dealt with in various disparate statutes.
82. In terms of the Criminal Code, corruption is a misdemeanour. CHRAJ, which is
occupied with human rights violations, especially the large number of labour-related
cases, is additionally responsible for investigating and enforcing sanctions against
corruption. The SFO is a more recent creation, set up primarily to deal with much more
serious offences of corruption and related financial and economic crimes that result in
serious losses of state resources. Consultations by the CRM have revealed serious
deficiencies, such as the absence of a Board and substantive Chief Executive in the
institutional structure of the SFO.
83. Some stakeholders pointed out that a clear institutional dualism or gap needs to be
closed in the fight against corruption. Some would see the enactment of a law setting up
an organisation that is solely responsible, and has exclusive and expanded powers and
functions for fighting corruption. It has been suggested that the SFO could be such an
organisation.
iii. Recommendations
84. The Panel recommends that the Government of Ghana:
? Implement recommendations of anti-corruption bodies for the government to
enact a comprehensive legislation against corruption.
? Establish a central organ within the government but independent of it,
conferred with exclusive jurisdiction to fight corruption.
? Increase budgetary allocations to programmes and activities for disseminating
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