Ghana does not need new laws to fight corruption - CHRAJ Director

The Eastern Regional Director of the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has observed that Ghana has enough laws to deal with corruption.

Stephen Okpoti Mensah said since independence, the country had passed so many laws to deal with corrupt practices and notable among them is the Criminal Offences Act, Act 29 of 1960 and the 1992 Constitution.

Mr. Mensah was speaking at a seminar on Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP) organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) under a programme sponsored by the European Union (EU) in Koforidua.

Under the programme, NCCE will undertake focus group discussions at the regional level and 32 community durbars at the districts and municipal levels across the Region.

Among the objectives of the ARAP, is to promote good governance in Ghana by reducing corruption and improving accountability and compliance with the rule of law and NCCE is to lead the campaigns, advocacy and lobbying for increased accountability to reduce corruption in Ghana.

Mr. Okpoti Mensah explained that the coming into being of CHRAJ, EOCO and the Whistle-Blowers Act coupled with the many laws and institutions were enough to help deal with the menace as a country.

He then attributed the problem to the inability to enforce the existing laws to deal with all these corrupt practices by the appropriate quarters.

Mr Okpoti Mensah said it was worrying how corruption was affecting the development of the nation, all because monies were getting into the wrong pockets depriving the state of funds for very important development programmes.

The Deputy Eastern Regional Director of the NCCE, Mr. Augustine Bosrotsi, encouraged the participants to use the knowledge gathered to help improve citizens' participation in good governance.

A participant, Kojo Blankson, called on all to do away with politics and support state agencies mandated to check corruption to stamp out the canker.