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The Fee on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) says it’s investigating some 428 public workplace holders for failing to declare their property.
Mr Stephen Azantilow, Director, Anti-Corruption at CHRAJ, revealed this at a public discussion board on “Declaration of Property by Public Workplace Holders and the Combat In opposition to Corruption in Ghana,” in Accra on Tuesday.
Mr Azantilow, nonetheless, didn’t give additional particulars on the circumstances as that would prejudice the result of the investigations
He, nonetheless, revealed in a phone interview with the Ghana Information Company, that the investigations prolonged to officers who did not declare their property in 2020.
He added that 284 of them had been additionally circumstances that had been dropped at the eye of the Fee in August this yr.
The discussion board, organised by the Media Basis for West Africa (MFWA), introduced collectively a number of anti-corruption campaigners and associations in addition to some political events.
Article 286 (1) of the 1992 Structure states that “an individual who holds a public workplace talked about in clause (5) of this Article shall undergo the Auditor-Common a written declaration of all property or property owned by or liabilities owed by, him whether or not straight or not directly (a) inside three months after the approaching into pressure of this Structure or earlier than taking workplace, because the case could also be, (b) on the finish of each 4 years; and (b) on the finish of his time period of workplace.”
The regulation requires that the President, Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament, Deputy Audio system of Parliament, members of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers of state, ambassadors, the Chief Justice, Judges of Superior Court docket, Judges of Inferior court docket and managers of public establishments by which the state has curiosity undergo the Auditor-Common written declarations of all property or property owned by, or liabilities owed by them, whether or not straight or not directly.
The Structure additionally requires the declaration to be finished earlier than the general public officer takes workplace.
Nevertheless, Part 1(4)(c) of the Public Workplace Holders (Declaration of Property and Disqualification) Act directs public workplace holders to fulfill this requirement “not later than six months after taking workplace, on the finish of each 4 years and never later than six months on the finish of his or her time period.”
Reacting to criticisms that the Fee had failed to carry public officers who didn’t adjust to the Act, Mr Azantilow stated the absence of specific punishment within the regulation had rendered it helpless.
“We typically additionally really feel helpless as a result of when you have got the regulation that doesn’t critically let you know that look if anyone doesn’t declare earlier than he assumes workplace, or he leaves workplace or each 4 years, you must give or mete out sanctions A, B, C and D, it turns into problematic.
“And that’s the reason when the brand new invoice, that’s the Code of Conduct Officers Invoice got here earlier than us we made numerous enter and even the present invoice as it’s, pending earlier than Cupboard, our proposals for the kind of sanctions that ought to be meted out to public officers relying on the stage by which the particular person did not declare their asset has been captured.
“We hope that the regulation will come into pressure in order that we all know precisely what to do,” he stated.
He additionally added that as a Fee, its choices weren’t all the time last.
“You individuals are conscious that a few of our choices have been challenged in court docket. So, if making a decision that doesn’t stand the take a look at of time, it will likely be challenged in court docket and we’ve got confronted these embarrassments so we’re additionally cautious the best way we do our issues,” Mr Azantilow stated.
Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Govt Director, Ghana Integrity Initiative, emphasised the necessity for sturdy management to make sure the enforcement of the asset declaration regime.
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