The Auditor General and the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) have been urged to start parading corrupt officials returning monies they looted from the state back to them before the media.
A communicator with the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Charles Owusu speaking on Adom FM’s Morning Show, ‘Dwaso Nsem’ Monday said this should be part of the punishment meted out to the state looters.
Several civil and public servants accused of engaging in acts of corruption have started appearing before EOCO. They are mainly persons who were named in a petition submitted to the body by Adom FM’s Morning Show host, Captain Smart during his much publicized ‘Y’egye yen sika’ demonstration.
Some of the persons implicated in reports for engaging in acts of corruption, reports indicate, have started returning the amounts they took from the state coffers to EOCO.
The PPP communicator commenting on this on the show on Monday called on EOCO to start inviting the media to cover the people as they return the money to the state.
“I am pleading on behalf of the people accused of engaging in corruption, they should just be made to refund the money but the condition is when they are returning the money, it should be before the cameras and other members of the media, so they get the needed attention…,” he said.
To him, this is very necessary as it forms part of the naming and shaming of corrupt persons in the country.
Appearing before live cameras, he said would serve as enough deterrence to persons entrusted with the management of the meagre resources of the state.
After appearing on live TVs presenting the looted cash, they should also be made to appear at the front pages of newspapers as well.
“I am only urging that they should appear before front pages with the caption that these are the people who stole money from the state coffers and are now returning it…,” he urged further.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressing a section of the Ghanaian community in the United Kingdom (UK) at a public forum in London last Friday said the persistent engagement of some state officials and private individuals in acts of corruption is undermining the capacity of the country to control its own development.
“The fight against corruption is about ourselves; it is not so big a theoretical thing in the air. They (corrupt officials) are degrading our capacity to control our own development.
“To the extent that God gives me health and strength, I am going to do my best to make sure that the fight against corruption is won,” he said.
And Charles Owusu said the President was on point about that as corruption is fast becoming the bane of the Ghanaian society.
“The President must lead by example which is that he should start punishing persons in his own administration who would engage in acts of corruption…the society must also stop supporting persons invited to appear state agencies for acts of corruption…,” Charles Owusu urged.
