Special Prosecutor wants corruption courts established

Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng is urging for the creation of dedicated courts to prosecute individuals suspected of involvement in corruption and related cases in order to effectively combat graft.

During a roundtable discussion on the 2023 Corruption Perception Index, Agyebeng expressed disappointment with Ghana’s stagnant corruption score of 43,which has remained unchanged since 2020.

He stated, “The conversation seems to be going nowhere. Our fight against corruption is proving to be challenging and we are not achieving much success. Our progress is hindered, and we are unable to make significant improvements to our scorecard.”

Ghana ranked 70th out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perception Index 2023 released by Transparency International. This marks the fourth consecutive year of stagnation in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts, according to the index.

Among Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana ranked 8th out of 49. The stagnant score of Ghana reflects a global trend of deteriorating justice systems, reducing the accountability of public officials and enabling corruption to thrive, as highlighted by Transparency International.

The World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index also demonstrates a concerning decline in Ghana’s performance. The country’s score dropped from 0.60 in 2015 to 0.55 in 2023, resulting in a decline in ranking from 34 to 61.

In response to the report, Agyebeng made several demands, including the incorporation of anti-corruption law enforcement institutions into the constitution, the establishment of special anti-corruption courts to handle cases efficiently, and assurance of adequate resources and independence for these institutions.

He also suggested including the office of the special prosecutor in the membership of the judicial council, ensuring judges can adjudicate without fear of reprisals or compromising their career advancement, and appropriate remuneration for judges and officers of anti-corruption law enforcement institutions.