MPs deplore corruption in the Judiciary

Parliament on Wednesday deplored the extent to which the Judiciary has sunk itself into corruption and called for the prosecution of those officers who have embezzled public funds through the award of dubious contracts, outright neglect of financial procedures on local purchase order.

Concluding the debate on the 1997 Auditor-General's Report on the Judicial Service the members decried the dizzying corruption that engulfed an institution that was charged with the dispensation of justice, the protector of public and private property.

The report laid before the House yesterday accused the former Chief Justice, Mr Justice I.K. Abban of sweeping corruption especially for misapplying 1.9 billion cedis being tribunal panellist allowances.

He also involved himself in the daily financial administration of the service while an officer like Mr G. K. Fordjour through price differentials of supplies of goods swallowed 182 million cedis. The report said contracts were awarded without Tender Boards leading to favouritism and corruption.

Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, NPP-Nsuta-Kwamang called on Parliament to use Article 187 (6) which allows it to establish a committee to deal with any matters arising out of public accounts report.

He said the prosecution of the culprits should not only be left in the hands of the Police or the Attorney-General without Parliament showing its judicial powers in such cases.

"It is only then that we shall be fighting corruption". Ms Akua Dansua, NDC-North Dayi said prosecution of the corrupt officials would be further stretching the policy of zero tolerance to its proper destination.

She said it should be possible for government to retrieve the monies lost to the state through embezzlement and corruption. Niibi Ayi-Bonte, NPP-Odododiodio, said the Judiciary was held in high esteem and the level of their knowledge was unsurpassed and asked: "If judges are so corrupt who then judges the judge for public safety?"

He said Mallam Isa's case has set a precedent for people in the street to desire punitive measures to be taken against corrupt officials.

Niibi Ayi-Bonte called for the institution of a national price index for commodities so that a supplier on contract should not exceed a certain limit of prices.

Mr Paul C. Appiah-Ofori, NPP-Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, called for the institution of a mechanism whereby public accounts could be audited within a short time as check on financial malpractices.

He said the delays caused the nation to loose because if the embezzled money when retrieved might have lost value due to inflation.

Mr Mike Hammah, NDC-Effutu suggested that the nation should have a procurement policy to ensure that financial regulations were followed as check on corrupt officials and that "there must be a kind of technical auditing as a means of constantly monitoring public accounts".

Winding up the debate Mr Steve Akorli, Vice Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, commended Mr Nicholas C.A. Agbevor, Deputy Judicial Secretary for helping the committee in unearthing some of the malpractices.

Thanking members for their contributions Mr Akorli asked them to adopt the report as a way of checking corruption in the public system.