Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has called for the reintroduction of the publication of asset declarations by public officials as a step in Ghana’s fight against corruption.
According to him, the existing asset declaration law does little to promote transparency because it is not public and therefore shrouded in secrecy.
Speaking on Joy News on September 10 concerning the newly drafted anti-corruption strategy, Martin Kpebu said the push now is to look at how to make it easier to fight corruption in Ghana.
“We should look at how to make it easier to fight corruption. Number 1 will be the asset declaration law. Our current law is not fit for purpose,” he stated.
In Ghana’s current asset declaration system, declarations are not published for public access.
Public officials are required by law to submit their asset and liability forms to the Auditor-General in sealed envelopes, which can only be opened under specific circumstances.
Mr. Kpebu explained that Ghana once had a more open system under the Public and Political Party Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Eligibility) Law, PNDCL 280 in 1992.
The first modern asset declaration law was the Public and Political Party Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Eligibility) Law, PNDCL 280, enacted in 1992.
The law then required public officials to declare their assets to the Auditor-General and Electoral Commission, and also mandated that the Auditor-General publish the declarations in the Gazette within 14 days of submission
Martin Kpebu said, “Their declarations are there, you can buy and read what they declared those days. So, we need a law that will bring back publication when you finish declaring.”
He added that such a system would ensure consistency between declared assets and the reality on the ground.
“We need a law that will bring in verification, the Auditor General will go and verify that everything you put in that form you have them on the ground,” he noted.
