Anti-corruption advocate, Edem Senanu, has stated the urgent need for the establishment of specialized anti-corruption courts in the country to effectively address the growing threat of fraud and financial misconduct.
His call follows the Attorney General’s Department’s renewed efforts to recover looted state funds, as it initiates legal proceedings against the former leadership of the National Service Scheme (NSS), including Yagaba-Kubori MP Mustapha Ussif.
According to Dr. Dominic Ayine, the NPP MP and 11 other former directors of the NSS played various roles in a major financial scandal that led to losses exceeding GHC548 million.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Ayine revealed that with investigations now complete, the twelve individuals will be arraigned before court in the coming days. The suspects, including former Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah and former Director-General Osei Assibey Antwi, are accused of conspiring to inflate payroll figures using thousands of fictitious names, resulting in large-scale fraudulent disbursements.
The prosecutions will be carried out under the government’s “Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL)” initiative, aimed at retrieving misappropriated state funds and promoting accountability in public service.
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In a sharp rebuttal to the current state of judicial handling of corruption cases, Co-Chair of the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu, argued that the existing judicial framework lacks the specialized capacity and efficiency required to deal with complex corruption cases.
“The individuals implicated in this scandal are not ordinary civil servants; they are senior figures who should have known better,” Mr. Senanu stated. “This is precisely why the Attorney General and other anti-graft agencies must continue engaging the public. Where there is a vacuum of prosecution and accountability, impunity festers.”
He stressed that the establishment of dedicated anti-corruption courts would fast-track justice delivery and serve as a strong deterrent.
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“We need specialized anti-corruption courts to curb rising fraud. This will help the country achieve quicker results. They are recovering substantial sums that were criminally taken, and in some cases, entering negotiations. But we also need firm judicial mechanisms to prosecute offenders efficiently. Specialized courts will send a clear message to anyone contemplating misappropriation of public funds,” Senanu added.
Meanwhile, the former Head of the Internal Audit Agency, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, has called on the government to amend the nation’s internal audit laws to strengthen preventive mechanisms in public finance management.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Benjamin Sackey
