Prosecution of past officials in the offing

The prosecution of former government officials found to have allegedly engaged in corrupt acts is likely to start in a couple of weeks.

Towards this end, the government is finalising investigations on a number of transactions by the past administration.

Brigadier-General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, the National Security Advisor, who dropped the hint, said there was enough evidence to enable government to initiate prosecutions.

He was speaking in an interview with the Times in Accra yesterday.

According to him, dossiers on a number of cases were ready to be forwarded to the Attorney-General for advice and initiation of prosecution.

Although he was not specific on which cases were likely to top the list, he said, investigations were conclusive on transactions of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, acquisition of state property by former officials and deals by former Ministers which amounted to abuse of office, as well as the purchase and sale of government vehicles.

Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah said other cases, which he described as "looting of state property" where out gone - officials took away state property from their official residence, were being thoroughly investigated for the necessary action.

"Whoever is found culpable will be dealt with," the Security Advisor said.

"There is a lot of evidence of wrong doing,'' he stressed, noting that "anywhere you look in the former government's activities, there is a case to be investigated."

He, however, asked Ghanaians not to panic because there would be thorough investigations before accusations are levelled against former officials and others found to have engaged in corrupt practices.

"Nobody will be hauled before court without tangible evidence," he said. That was to ensure that innocent people were not accused wrongly.

Among such cases is that of the former Speaker, Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes, who took away state items worth about GH¢4 billion from his residence.

According to Brigadier-Gen Nunoo-Mensah, the furnishing of the former Speaker's official residence at that cost smacks of corruption since the cost of some of the items such as bowls were evidently inflated.

"The government will not allow such looting to go unpunished," he stated, adding that "those who think the government is inept should rethink."

He said the government was determined to recover all looted state property and monies since those resources could be channelled into proper use.

Brig-Gen Nunoo-Mensah disagreed with the Parliamentary Committee's report which, among other things, recommended that the former Speaker should pay for some of the items and return others he took away.

He said the fact that there was no policy on the disposal of furnishing items for the leadership and senior officials of the Parliamentary Service did not mean the former Speaker could take state property to be his own.

"This is theft, and it would be dealt with as such," he said.

The quantum of money used to refurbish the former Speaker's house, he said was “abominable" since it cannot be justified in the country's present economic circumstances.

He asked the rationale behind allowing leaders to purchase or take away state property they met in office, pointing out that it puts a further strain on the economy since monies which could have been used to address social needs have to be used to replace those items for incoming officials.

He said the general rule, which does ensures that officials leaving public office leave behind state property, should apply to Parliament since "Parliament is not a State within a State."

"There is so much waste in the bureaucratic system, and it is about time we put an end to it," he stated.