Nana Addo to form independent prosecutor to fight corruption

The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says if he is elected president in 2016, he will take practical steps to root out corruption in government.

The Special Prosecutor will be charged to fight against corruption. Persons who will serve in this special office will not be chosen by the President but “by a formula that will ensure their independence and the capacity to do their work.”

Nana Addo made this known this when he addressed a cross-section of Ghanaians in the United Kingdom, Saturday.

He remarked that the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) as presently constituted is not strong enough to be the “fulcrum for the anti-corruption drive in our country.”

“It is an ombudsman, a human rights watchdog and it is also an anti-corruption agency,” he noted.

The NPP flag bearer sent a strong warning to party faithful that if anybody is supporting his bid to the presidency because of money, then they should stay off because corruption would not be tolerated in his administration.

“If your goal in coming into government is to enrich yourself, then don’t come. Go to the private sector. Public service is going to be exactly that; public service,” he said.

One of the challenges militating against corruption in Ghana is the unwillingness of governments to prosecute their own officials who are involved in corruption.

This has led to calls for the separation of the office of the Attorney-General from the Ministry of Justice.

Nana Addo’s solution to this, he said, will to create the office of a Special Prosecutor, which will be independent of executive control.