GACC CORRUPTION REPORT 2023

REFLECTIONS ON THE STATE OF CORRUPTION IN GHANA

GACC | 08.12.2023
OUTLINE
¡ BACKGROUND
¡ METHODOLOGY
¡ FINDINGS/SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS
¡ CONCLUSION
¡ RECOMMENDATIONS
BACKGROUND
WHO WE ARE

5 State Actors: CHRAJ, EOCO, GAS,

A Coalition of 13 PPA, NCCE
Organizations:
1 Private Sector Body: PEF

7 Civil Society Organizations

Vision: A corruption-free Ghana

WHY THIS REPORT

The Country is falling back

Recent happenings raise
into the cyclical problem
Tracking of Anti- concerns that
that existed before the
government is not
Corruption issues in providing the public with
adoption of the National
the Country Anti-Corruption Action
a clear pathway for
Plan (NACAP- 2015-2024)
dealing with corruption.
in 2014
METHODOLOGY
Secondary sources – already existing reports

Data
collection Desk Analysis
and review
cleaning

• Gather data from • Description of • Analyse existing

various sources. data collected reports
SUMMARY OF
ANALYSIS/ FINDINGS
 DECLINING PERFORMANCES ON
INTERNATIONAL INDICES
Ghana CPI Score from 2013-2022

48
47
46

43 43 43 43

41 41
40

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Source: CPI from Transparency International

 Perceived corruption, trends over time (% saying “some,” “most,” or “all”)
2019 – 2022
2002 – 2022
2002 2005 2008 2012 2014 2017 2019 2022 (%age
(%age Change)
Change)
President and officials in
37% 56% 70% 87% 83% 78% 82.7% 94.2% 11.5% 57.2%
his office

Members of Parliament -- 59% 74% 90% 85% 85% 85.9% 95.9% 10% 36.9%

Judges and Magistrates 70% 72% 79% 90% 85% 88% 84.6% 95.2% 10.2% 24.8%

Officials Of Electoral
-- -- -- -- 81% 80% -- -- -1% -1%
Commission
The Police 79% 81% 86% 94% 89% 92% 89.4% 96.4% 7% 17.4%

National Government
-- 66% 77% 91% 86% 86% -- -- -- 20%
Officials

District Chief Executives -- -- -- 89% 84% 82% -- 91% -- 2%

Local government
-- 60% 71% 86% 83% 83% 81% -- 21%
representatives

Source: Afrobarometer Surveys

ALARMING RATE OF PETTY CORRUPTION

One out of four people

(26.7%) reported having
been asked to pay a
bribe by a public official
or asked to pay one but
refused to do so.

Source: Corruption in Ghana – People’s Experiences and Views (CHRAJ/UNODC)

DEEPENING LEVELS OF GRAND CORRUPTION

Data from 2 major reports:

•Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions
•Ministries, Departments and Other Agencies (MDAs) for the Year Ended 31 December 2022

Data shows consistent mismanagement and abuse of public funds over

the years.

The reports show that six different types of financial irregularities: Cash
Irregularities, Payroll Irregularities, Procurement Irregularities, Tax
Irregularities, Stores Irregularities And Contract Irregularities.
 Type of Irregularity 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
GHC GHC GHC GHC GHC
1. Outstanding 1,801,416,815 4,859,727,984 10,067,170,560 16,355,145,068 14,964,300,230.22
Debtors/Loans
Recoverable
2. Cash Irregularities 1,087,713,932 215,025,782 1,802,692,515 505,800,397 23,513,599.60

3. Payroll 3,163,473 66,248,946 9,574,765 8,243,954 11,486,154.00

Irregularities
4. Procurement 15,121,639 37,342,867 846,134,269 306,769,261 42,710,320.03
Irregularities
5. Tax Irregularities 4,371,199 199,651,868 29,201,677 23,572,832 12,856,588.00

6. Stores Irregularities 734,461 2,748,551 11,591,519 173,954 -

7. Contract 94,737,405 87,652,433 89,807,321 283,778,072 4,574,914.00

Irregularities
Total 3,007,258,924 5,468,398,431 12,856,172,626 17,483,483,538 15,059,441,806

Source: Auditor-General’s Reports on Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions from 2018-2022
Source: Auditor-General’s Reports on MDAs and other Agencies from 2018-2022
 ELECTION-RELATED CORRUPTION & VOTE-
BUYING
¡ The increasing incidence of perceived or real corruption and vote-buying during public
elections, especially political parties’ internal election processes.
¡ 27th June 2023 by-election in the Assin North Constituency in Central Region
¡ NPP Presidential Primaries – the display of opulence by aspirants
¡ NPP Parliamentary Primaries in “orphan constituencies” – open vote-buying actions
¡ NPP Member of Parliament for Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Constituency, Alfred Obeng-Boateng,
¡ NDC Presidential and Parliamentary Primaries, there were reports of voter inducements: Ejura Sekyeredumase
example.
 SIGNALLING: INVESTIGATIONS, PROSECUTION &
RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS OF CORRUPTION

¡ We have noticed positive developments that send encouraging signals

¡ The jailing of En Huang aka Aisha Huang for illegal mining.
¡ The jailing of William Ato Essien for stealing over 90 million Ghana cedis belonging to the defunct
Capital Bank.
¡ The Special Prosecutor had issued an interim directive to Labianca Company Limited to pay an amount
of One Million Ghana cedis and that order had been complied with by the company.

¡ But like supporters of an underperforming team, the GACC is cautious about

celebrating these gains (especially because some bad examples)
 SIGNALLING: INVESTIGATIONS, PROSECUTION &
RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS OF CORRUPTION
¡ A few bad examples
¡ July 2023 of a scandal over several foreign and local currencies that were allegedly stolen by
house helps of the then Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

¡ The case of the resigned Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, whom
the OSP faulted “for engaging in influence peddling or trading in influence”

¡ The controversial 2021 Sputnik V vaccine purchase brouhaha

¡ The OSP’s Press Conference about the perceived sabotage of his work by some persons within
the judiciary.
CONCLUSION
¡ Corruption has been normalized among the citizenry

¡ The existing framework is neither prohibitory nor binding enough to instil a high sense
of good conduct and integrity among public officials, leaving room for a number of
unethical conduct that cannot be checked under the current regime.

¡ Government must continue to invest substantially in in the state anti-corruption

institutions and intensify implementation of anti-corruption laws.

¡ The political leadership must also demonstrate that there is a personal price to pay for
corruption
¡ There is the need to be more radical in our efforts to achieve results
in the short term if Ghana is to deliver a big blow against corruption.

¡ The President and his appointees must prioritise measures that will
contribute to a restoration of public confidence in the commitment
and dedication of the government to fight corruption.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 ¡ Institutionalise a value system that
prompts a person whose conduct in
public office comes into disrepute to
resign or recuse themselves from
VALUES further administration of the office
they occupy.
 ¡ Government must take measures to
forestall abuse of incumbency and
electoral corruption during next
year’s general elections.

¡ Political parties should take

PARTY POLITICS responsibility for logistical support
to delegates during internal elections.
 ¡ The state anti-graft agencies and the
judicial arm of government must deepen
their collaboration to ensure that
perpetrators of corruption and corruption-
related offences are adequately punished.

¡ There is the need for the creation of a

INSTITUTIONS specialized anti-corruption court to
& LEGAL promote the fight against corruption.

¡ A holistic approach to NACAP II, to

ensure the availability of the requisite buy-
in and resources (financial and non-
financial) to ensure effective
implementation.
 ¡ Immediately pass a Corrupt Practices Act
and a Conduct of Public Officers Act. This
is because, as the OSP puts it, these
“legislative measures are essential for the
establishment of a stronger legal
framework and more effective mechanisms
to combat and penalise corruption and
INSTITUTIONS corruption-related offences.”
& LEGAL
¡ A holistic approach to NACAP II, to
ensure the availability of the requisite buy-
in and resources (financial and non-
financial) to ensure effective
implementation.
 In the wake of wanton disregard for the
Auditor-General’s recommendations for
administrative and audit reforms:
¡ Regulatory reforms must be made to
ensure that public officers found
culpable of audit offences are
prosecuted.
PUBLIC AUDITS
¡ State institutions must compulsorily
create, strengthen and work with
internal audit units to perform
oversight functions internally.
Thank you