Ghana Tackles Embezzlement of Property in Private Sector – CHRAJ Boss

The Deputy Commissioner of the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice CHRAJ, Justice Richard Quayson has revealed that the country is pro proposing to amend Acts including the Act of embezzlement of property in the private sector.

According to the Deputy CHRAJ boss this would strengthen the fight against corruption at all levels of the ecenomy.

“The office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice in collaboration with UNODC (West and Central Africa), has proposed amendment to the Criminal and other offences Act”, he stated.

Further more, he added that “Acts such as bribery of foreign public officers and officers of public international organizations, bribery in the private sector, embezzlement of property in the private sector, concealment and
illicit enrichment are currently before Parliament for amendment”.

Justice Quayson made this known at the Opening of the Country Visit on the Review of Ghana’s Implementation of Chapter two and Chapter five of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Accra.

The three-day meeting aimed at bringing experts from South Sudan and Madagascar as well as the UNODC to dialogue on the review of United Nations Convention Against Corruption, UNCAC.

It also sought to review the implementation of the Chapter two which is the Preventive Measures and Chapter five which is the Asset Recovery of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption also known as the Convention.

Ghana went through a similar exercise in the year 2015 when the focus of the review of the implementation of the Convention was on Chapters three and four which is Criminalisation and Law Enforcement, and International Cooperation respectively.

The Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Richard Quayson stated that Ghana has already started implementing the recommendations of that review.

He stated that In December 2018, with the support from UNODC, the Commission adopted a road map for the implementation of the recommendations which has already started.

Mr. Quayson who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Steering Committee said, Ghana adopted the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, as the blue print for addressing corruption in the country.

On the country’s progress to implementing of various recommendations, he stated further that Ghana has also enacted the Witness Protection Act, the Right to Information Act, amended the Companies Act to provide for beneficial ownership information and others that are pending before the Parliament.

Mr. Quayson applauded Ghana for taken lead in international obligations under the Convention seriously.

According to him, in the first cycle review, Ghana reviewed Uganda, Central African Republic and in the second cycle, Ghana also reviewed Indonesia and Algeria which is coming to a close.

Mr. Quayson noted that apart from that Ghana continues to participate in the Implementation Review Group and other meetings in relation to the Convention.

By: Iddrissu A. Jara