Public Office holders must declare assets – Auditor General

The Auditor-General, in accordance with Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution on Tuesday tasked eligible public office holders who have not yet submitted their completed Assets Declaration Forms to his office to do so.

“Eligible public officers, who reside outside Accra, may submit their completed forms to the nearest regional office of the Audit Service,” a statement signed by Mr Joseph K Ghunney, Director of Public Affairs at the Audit Service to the Ghana News Agency in Accra stated.

The statement explained that in accordance with Article 286 (1): “a person who holds public office shall submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by him/her whether directly or indirectly.

“Within three months after the coming into force of this Constitution or before taking office, as the case may be, at the end of every four years; and at the end of his term of office”.

According to the statement, the Audit Service has initiated the process of receiving for safe keeping completed Assets Declaration Forms of eligible public office holders.

Article 286 clause 5 identifies the public office holders who are mandated to declare their assets as; the President of the Republic, the Vice-President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament and the Deputy Speaker.

Others are; Members of Parliament, Minister of State or Deputy Minister, Chief Justice, Justice of the Superior Court, Chairman of a Regional Tribunal, and the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and Deputies.

The rest are all Judicial Officers, Ambassador or High Commissioner, Secretary of the Cabinet, Head of Ministry or Government Department or equivalent office in the Civil Service.

The list also includes the Chairman, Managing Director, General Manager and Departmental Head of a Public Corporation or company in which the State has a controlling interest; and such officers in the public service and any other public institutions as Parliament may prescribe.