Whistleblower Act to be amended

Sekondi July 3, GNA - The Whistleblower Act of 2006, which regulates disclosures of impropriety in the country would be amended, Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) said at the weekend. He was speaking at a day's training workshop on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, organised by the Commission for Western Regional Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Sekondi. Mr Quayson said the amendment is to make the Act more effective in addressing irregularities in the country. He said the Act imposes responsibilities on the CHRAJ to receive and investigate disclosures of impropriety and complaints of victimisation of whistleblowers.

Mr Quayson said it also outlines the manner in which individuals may in the public interest disclose information that relates to unlawful or other illegal conduct or corrupt practices of others. He said a whistleblower who makes a disclosure that leads to the arrest and conviction of an accused person would be rewarded with money from the Whistleblowers Reward Fund (WRF).

He said a whistleblower whose disclosure results in the recovery of an amount of money would be rewarded from the WRF with 10 per cent of the amount recovered or the amount that the Attorney-General shall in consultation with the Inspector General of Police determine. Mr Quayson said impropriety includes an act, which involves the loss, mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds or causes loss, mismanagement or misappropriation of public funds. He said impropriety also includes non-compliance with a law which imposes an obligation on a person, miscarriage of justice, waste of public resources, misappropriation or mismanagement of public resources, environmental degradation and endangering the health or safety of an individual or community. 3 July 10