Corruption not local; it’s an international business – Domelovo

“Corruption is not local, it is an international business”, these were the words of Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelovo at a national dialogue on the theme ‘Public Accountability: Abuse of office’ on Tuesday June 25, 2019.

Mr Domelovo expressed disappointment about the rate at which corruption is engulfing the country.

He said: “Corruption is not local, it is an international business… but the international players of corruption are more serious. These (local) ones use knives and small guns but they (Westerners) use long range missiles and it is very difficult. They cannot undo even government…

"The proceeds of corruption in Africa are in Europe. The key beneficiaries of our corrupt systems, the bad roads we are constructing the proceeds are in Europe or in the western world.”

The Auditor-General however criticized government for awarding contracts to foreigners instead of citizens.

“Look, how many 20 million dollars contracts do Ghanaians win?" he asked. "Why are they not able to win? Look at the systems that are put in place for us to run then you will see the kind of people that will come in as consultants.”

Meanwhile, Professor Stephen Adei Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) says the cause of corruption should be traced to leadership.

He was displeased about the fact that Members of Parliament rather politicize corruption instead of focusing on tackling the canker.

“The cause of corruption should be traced to leadership. We are talking about the executive and parliament" Prof. Adei noted.

"They are accountable for the corruption that we have in Ghana…They hold the key to corruption because leadership is cause, everything thing else is effect. They are the people who appoint, they politicize everything sometimes it becomes very serious that the two sides talk about relative corruption of their regimes rather than dealing with corruption.”

Clara Beeri Kasser-Tee a private legal practitioner on her part recommended that the 1992 constitution is reviewed and a valued system put in place as an effective measure to deal with the practice of corruption

“All public institutions must exercise their powers for the welfare of the people, that’s what the constitution says, the people’s constitution but when you go into the practice it is a powerless and helpless people… so it is time we another look at our 1992 constitution. It has served us well and it has brought us where we are.”