We need to punish economic crimes through fair and honest justice system-AG 

By Morkporkpor Anku 

Accra, Sept. 4, GNA – Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney-General And Minister for Justice, says the country needs to punish corruption and other forms of economic crime through a fair, honest, and efficient justice system. 

He said a robust legal system underpinned by the rule of law would go hand in hand with economic prosperity, bolster the confidence of the people and deter the perpetration of wrongdoing. 

The Attorney-General was speaking at the 40th International Symposium on Economic Crime at Jesus College, University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. 

The Symposium was on the theme: “Integrity.” 

The objectives of the Symposium were to provide governments, institutions, and the academy an opportunity to consider and address, from a practical standpoint, a host of threats to the country’s economic wellbeing and prosperity. 

He said the efficiency of a nation’s justice system was tested particularly by the speed and efficiency with which cases seeking to hold high-profile members of society to account as well as top financial crimes, are conducted. 

He said the Government had moved to boost the whistleblower regime by promoting a bill to amend the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720) which introduces a reward system for whistleblowers. 

He said the new amendment would ensured a dedication of thirty percent of all revenue accruing from cases conducted on the strength of a whistleblower’s activity was paid into the Fund, and 10 per cent of the income directly generated by the  

whistleblower’s efforts are paid to the whistleblower. 

The Attorney-General said coupled with the centrality of access to information, “we have identified a deliberate policy of digitalisation of the Ghanaian environment as crucial to the creation of accountability and integrity in society.” 

“Policies like a robust National Identification System, Digital Property Address System, Paperless Port Systems, E-Justice Systems, Pensions and Insurance data and a digitized Land Title Registry have as their overarching objective, the need to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the public space,” he added. 

Mr Dame said a digitised environment ultimately helps to eliminate and prevent corruption in various institutions and agencies. 

He said important institutions of State like the Passport Office, Ports and Harbours, Office of the Registrar of Companies, National Health Insurance Service and the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, which hitherto were fertile grounds for corrupt activity, have been remarkably transformed. 

The Attorney-General said the introduction of Ghana.Gov platform, which was making it possible for services to be accessed and payment made online by card without the conduit of middlemen, had significantly reduced the risk of public sector corruption through embezzlement. 

He said there was an inimical tendency on the part of public officers to enter contracts with high rates of interest, especially compound interest. 

“In order to curb this tendency, the Office of Attorney-General has successfully sponsored the enactment of an amendment to the Contracts Act, 1960 (Act 25) to prohibit the payment of compound interest by the State in transactions entered on her behalf by public officers,” he said. 

He said the need to ramp up international efforts and cooperation to tackle economic crimes to indicate that the survival as a global community depended on the continuous trust reposed in us. 

“We must bear in mind that businesses exist to do business and to make profits, which ultimately will be at the expense of the rights of others,” he added. 

Mr Dame said, “We must be acutely aware that the development and integrity of the global financial system are at risk from exploiters of weaknesses in the system to perpetrate financially motivated crime.” 

He said the country could conquer the wrongdoers through a coordinated effort based on cooperation between criminal justice partners and the private sector worldwide. 

“Criminals exploit differences between countries to further their objectives, enrich their organisations, expand their power, and avoid detection or apprehension. They gain influence in government, politics, and commerce through corrupt and illegitimate means,” he added. 

He said there was the need for States to cooperate in combating the threat of economic crimes, saying  the consequence of a failure of integrity was far too dire to contemplate. 

“When those who have been entrusted with authority to ensure that right procedures are followed derelict on the same, the trust and confidence of the people are abused,” he said.  

GNA 

Related