Registrar of Companies calls for stronger ties with CID to tackle economic crimes

The Registrar of Companies, Madam Maame Samma Peprah (Esq), has called for closer collaboration between corporate regulators and law enforcement agencies to tackle the growing threat of corporate fraud in Ghana.

Speaking during a high-level strategic meeting between the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra, she said the integrity of Ghana’s corporate register must be protected to maintain investor confidence and public trust in the country’s business environment.

She warned that criminal activities involving corporate records are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with cases involving forged statutory documents, identity theft, impersonation of company officials, falsified filings and unlawful alteration of company records.

“The corporate register is a critical national asset that supports commercial decision-making, investment planning and regulatory oversight; any attempt to manipulate or compromise the authenticity of corporate records threatens the credibility of Ghana’s corporate governance system and weakens confidence in business transactions,” she noted.

Madam Peprah said corporate regulation alone cannot effectively address evolving economic crimes without active support from investigative institutions.

She called for stronger coordination between regulators and law enforcement agencies to promote transparency, accountability and confidence within the business environment, adding that protecting the integrity of the corporate register requires a collective effort from all relevant institutions.

The Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, assured the Registrar of the Department’s commitment to supporting the ORC in dealing with corporate and economic crimes.

“The CID remains ready to work closely with the Office of the Registrar of Companies in detecting, investigating and prosecuting offences that undermine the integrity of Ghana’s corporate regulatory system,” she said.

The meeting examined measures to improve intelligence sharing, strengthen investigative coordination, enhance prosecution of corporate offences and develop targeted capacity-building programmes for officers involved in economic and corporate crime investigations.