CHRAJ on exposing abuses of public office

Accra (Greater Accra Region) 12 Oct. 1998 The Commission On Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has said there is a need for a collaborative and non-partisan approach to exposing corruption with the support of civil society organisations.

Mr Emile F. Short, the Commissioner, said previous efforts to curb corruption have failed because they were too narrowly focused and concentrated on legal enforcement hence the need for a joint effort that emphasises prevention.

Mr Short was addressing a press conference in Accra on a two-day National Integrity Workshop to be hosted by his office next week.

He said the workshop will help develop a national integrity system that advocates a more holistic approach against corruption and help generate public awareness of its economic and social costs to the nation.

The objective is to take a fresh and sober look at the Ghanaian situation, isolate the factors that promote corruption, seek solution to them and help foster sustained democratic governance and a renewed economic growth. As part of the workshop, a study on public perceptions of corruption in the delivery of health care and education services, conducted by the Centre for Democracy and Development would be launched.

Mr Short spoke about issues raised by various religious bodies on corruption and the President's sessional address to Parliament pin-pointing corruption and indiscipline as harming the nation. ''There is a lot of evidence all around us that corruption is on the increase.''

He said one of the issues that might be considered at the workshop could be the setting up of a well-funded special anti-corruption unit under CHRAJ with powers to prosecute offences.

The Commissioner said CHRAJ lacks the human and financial resources to deal effectively with the multi-dimensional facets of the corruption problem given the scope of its constitutional functions.

Mr Bertrand de Speville, former Chairman of the Hong Kong Anti- Corruption Commission, Mr Nihal Jayawickrama, a member of Transparency International and Mr Adolph Hirschfeld, an official of the Anti-Corruption Directorate of Botswana, are expected at the workshop. GRi