Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has maintained that corruption is an ancient phenomenon, “as old as the first human created, Adam.”
He first made this comment when he was the sitting President and reiterated his belief that mankind has known corruption since its inception.
Speaking to TV3’s Beatrice Adu in a video played during the National Dialogue on Lifestyle Audit in Accra on Monday, November 24, he said, “It is true [Corruption is as old as Adam], it should be obvious to you. If you talk about corruption, you are talking about decay; all living things decay, but socially, if you are talking of grabbing or stealing or usurping what is not yours, cheating, they all go into corruption.”
“It is a broad thing, but I believe mankind has known this from the beginning of time.”
The Former President criticized the nation’s handling of the issue: “Our nation, generally, has been quite hypocritical about the way we have treated corruption or talked about it, pretending we are trying to find solutions to it. It is all because one, we haven’t had the serious study of corruption, which would entail the analysis of it to find the causes of the deepening corruption which is now so rampant.”
He added, “The entire society might be described as corrupt. To me, it is all because, in spite of the fact that the nation is so well endowed with good humanity, good natural resources all over the place, we haven’t allowed the wealth of this natural place to grow to meet the necessary demands.”
Also speaking at the same event, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Mr. George Arhin, observed that if three key things come into play—Opportunities, Threats, and Rationalization—everybody will commit fraud.
He says all these factors should be considered in the lifestyle audit, especially for public officers.
“When those three things come into play, everybody will commit fraud. Rationalization: Everybody is doing it, so why not? They are all driving flashy cars, and nobody is chasing them, so people will be inspired to commit fraud. Opportunities: When internal controls are not strong, people take advantage and are incentivized to do it because we will give you the glory you deserve for looking good in all those assets. Those are key elements; we need to factor all those in coming up with means to address these issues,” Mr. Arhin said.
In the area of the need for a law to back lifestyle audit, Mr. Arhin justified why Ghana needs a specific law. He makes the point that the lifestyle audit will provide guidance and punishment to serve as a deterrent.
Mr. Arhin argued that a lifestyle audit is critical as part of the fight against corruption. In the best jurisdictions, he said, lifestyle audits are conducted, backed by law, to ensure that the assets people acquire match their income.
“There is a need for lifestyle audit laws,” Mr. Arhin said. “Lifestyle audit is essential; we have statutory reviews all over the world.” He concluded, “We need a law that provides guidance and punishment in terms of people who abuse their position to get wealth.”
Recently, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, while addressing participants at the West Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Policy Dialogue in Accra, reiterated his proposal for constitutional reforms that would allow lifestyle audits and asset seizures, even without a criminal conviction.
Mr. Agyebeng described the current legal framework as outdated and ineffective for curbing modern corruption schemes.
He proposed a “reverse onus” clause that would require individuals to explain the source of their wealth or risk forfeiture of unexplained assets.
“In matters of anti-corruption, prevention is always better than cure,” he said. “Investigations and prosecutions are slow, expensive, and often unproductive due to entrenched secrecy and wealth layering.”
The Special Prosecutor stated that lifestyle audits remain one of the most cost-effective ways to expose and deter illicit enrichment, adding that asset recovery should not be contingent upon lengthy criminal proceedings.
Source: 3news.com By laud Nartey
