CORRUPTION in officialdom is something that has become more of a rule rather than an exception. It appears there is no single day that our newspapers are not awashed with stories of a government/public official accused of one bribery scandal or the other.
IN government, it has come to be known as ‘kick-back’ where Ministers of State and government officials tend to demand their share of any contracts awarded to companies. And what saddens TODAY is the zeal with which companies, owing to fear of being deprived of such contracts, act in paying such bribes. Why should this be the case?
THE latest bribery scandal involves some Ghanaian political big-wigs who received bribes from Mabbey & Johnson-M&J, a British construction firm in the 1980s and the 1990s. So far the politicians whose names have popped up include: Dr Sipa Yankey, Health Minister of the current NDC administration; Dr Ato Quarshie former Minister of Roads and Highways and Mr Kwame Peprah, Finance Minister who both served under ex-president Jerry John Rawlings; and Mr Boniface Saddique Abubakar who also worked at Ministry of Finance at the time.
THE M&J bribery scandal came to light following a ruling by a UK court on Friday, 24th September, 2009 citing the above politicians receiving bribes from the British construction firm. From the court’s ruling, it was established that the Ghanaian politicians took home thousands of UK pound sterling. That is very worrying to say the least.
IT is gratifying that the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has through his Chief of Staff, directed the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, to institute a full-scale investigation into the matter. That, in a way, shows that the President will not countenance on any of his team players who is corrupt.
TODAY hopes that the Attorney General’s investigations will throw more light on the matter and those found to have indeed taken bribes will be prosecuted. The practice where politicians who ‘chop’ state money and receive bribes are only made to refund such monies must stop, for it does more harm to our future leaders. It in a way sets a very bad precedent for our future leaders who can also think that they can embezzle state funds, and believe that all that will be asked of them will be the refund of the money.
WE on this paper believe that where there is substantial evidence that government officials and other public officers have embezzled or taken bribes they must be prosecuted and trialed in a court of law. At least the punishment which would be meted out to them by the courts will become a deterrent to other politicians who would want to use their office to amass wealth as it has often been the case with Ghanaian politicians.
WE have opened our eyes wide will be monitoring how the latest bribery scandal unfolds. We will also be watching what actions would be taken by the President if it is proven beyond all reasonable doubt that indeed the said politicians did take bribes—especially when one of them is serving under his government.
