‘My administration has driven the passage of several key laws to fight corruption’ — Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has defended his government's anti-corruption efforts, citing new laws passed under his administration as evidence of progress in combating graft.

Addressing the Ghana Bar Association's annual conference in Kumasi on Monday, September 9, Akufo-Addo said his administration has “taken strong, systemic steps to combat corruption, rooted in a holistic program of legislative, administrative, financial and technological reforms."

He noted that key laws like the Witness Protection Act of 2018 and the Critical Offences Amendment Act of 2020 have strengthened the country's anti-corruption framework.

The former "created a witness protection scheme for individuals cooperating with law enforcement, especially in corruption cases," according to Akufo-Addo.

While the latter "elevated corruption from a misdemeanor to a felony with harsher sentences of 12 to 25 years in prison," he stated.

Beyond legislation, the president highlighted the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

“We've provided them with the necessary tools to prosecute those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the Ghanaian people," Akufo-Addo remarked.

However, his claims come against the backdrop of sustained criticisms of the NPP government's corruption record from the opposition NDC, civil society and Ghanaians.

Akufo-Addo insists the reforms have "strengthened the institutional framework to combat corruption and ensure accountability."