Gov't Engage Foreign Experts To Probe Corrupt NDC Officials

Suspected corrupt past officials in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, who think they can enjoy their booty in peace, should quickly revise their notes.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is determined to make sure that every stolen state money is retrieved and the culprits punished by law.

The government has gone beyond the boundaries of the country to engage some foreign experts, who are specialists in investigating corrupt state officials, to help Ghana to retrieve all its stolen moneys.

Yaw Osafo-Maafo, the Senior Minister, disclosed, “Investigations of past corrupt government officials are underway and some people, who are not Ghanaians, are helping us from outside the country.

“The government has engaged these people, who are experts in investigating past corrupt government officials to support us so that in the end every stolen national asset or money will be located.

“These people have done such investigations for some countries in the past so they have the track-record and with their support, definitely no past corrupt government official can go scot-free.”

He said tracking of stolen state moneys is not a child's play, hence the government's decision to engage the experts to assist, especially in tracing the foreign banks where stolen state moneys are being kept.

“The investigation would not be locally centered; we shall go abroad, possibly to the banks where the stolen state cash are being kept. If we get this vital information then we will make inroads.

“We will also collaborate with foreign banks where we suspect stolen state cash are being kept, to unearth where, say, a person who earns GH¢10,000, deposited a staggering $2 million into his/her accounts on this and such particular day.

“If we are able to get such banks to testify in court then definitely no past corrupt government official will be able to escape from the clutches of the law,” Mr Osafo-Maafo stressed, adding that the government wants to get concrete facts about corrupt former officials before acting.

The senior minister, who was speaking with Omanhene of Kessben FM in Kumasi, stated that President Akufo-Addo's continuous statement that the rule of law will be upheld “is not just a mere rhetoric.”

According to him, the Ghanaian leader is determined to ensure that any former government appointee that misappropriated state funds is brought to book and also surrender all stolen state moneys.

Government, he said, would not rely on hearsay and rumours, regarding the hunt for past corrupt government officials, claiming, “We shall make sure that anyone that we will drag to court had indeed indulged in corrupt practices.”

Mr Osafo-Maafo said the image of the NPP government would be dented if they (NPP) rush to drag innocent people to court and would eventually be freed by the courts, saying, “NPP has the finest lawyers and we want to act professionally.”

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi