Go after current public officials – Prof Gyimah-Boadi to Special Prosecutor

A former Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi has urged the Special Prosecutor to focus more on alleged corruption cases involving people who are still in office as against past officers.

“Personally, I would like to see him focusing more on the allege corruption involving people who are still in office as opposed to those who are out of office,” he said.

According to him, even though there is nothing wrong in the special prosecutor going after past public officers, it will be more exciting if he goes after those still in office.

“All corruption must be tackled. All instances of theft of public funds must be tackled, retrievals should occur but I think symbolically, politically and for all kinds of reasons, tackling corruption, misdeeds and misconducts on the part of serving government officials will help a lot because we don’t see enough in this country,” he explained on ’21 minutes with KKB’.

Professor Gyimah-Boadi told GhanaWeb’s Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng that the special prosecutor should not go in for speculative cases when there are proven cases of causing financial loss to the State by public officials.

When asked where exactly he wants the focus of the Special Prosecutor to turn in investigating corruption cases, the Executive Director of the Afrobarometer said the special prosecutor should focus on cases thrown up by the Auditor General’s report.

“He can certainly take up some of the cases that have been thrown up by the Auditor General’s report,” he observed.



About Special Prosecutor Office

The setting up of the office of the Special Prosecutor was one of the key campaign promises made by President Akufo-Addo ahead of his election victory in 2016 and it is aimed at tackling corruption.

The Special Prosecutor’s office will be independent of the Executive, which observers believe will allow it to adequately deal with corruption-related issues which have plagued past governments.

The office of the Special Prosecutor will have the mandate to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption under the Public Procurement Act 203 Act 63 and other corruption-related offences implicating public officers, political office holders and their accomplices in the public sector.

The Prosecutor will also be mandated to trace and recover the proceeds of corruption.

Watch Prof. Gyimah-Boadi's full interview below