Corruption: Kpebu insists Akufo-Addo interferes with investigations of his appointees

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has insisted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo interferes with the investigations of his appointees accused of engaging in corruption.

He cited the former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah as an example where the president indicated that he was sure Mrs. Dapaah was going to be cleared even before investigations concluded.

In the view of Kpebu, if this comment of the President does not amount to interference then he cannot tell exactly what is meant by interference.

His comments come at a time when President Akufo-Addo has refuted accusations that he has interfered in investigations into corruption allegations against his appointees.

The president, also citing various instances of corruption allegations involving government officials, the latest being Cecilia Dapaah, stressed that he has allowed mandated institutions to conduct impartial investigations.

“I have never interfered in any corruption case. No government in the Fourth Republic has subjected its officials to such scrutiny. It is not my job to clear anybody… No evidence or allegation has been forthcoming that the executive has made any attempt to influence the outcome of any of these investigations,” the President said.

President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the Launch of the Evaluation of Ghana’s Maiden National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) at the Jubilee House in Accra on December 21.

Reacting to this on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Thursday December 21, Mr Kpebu said “The president says that there is no corruption issue that has not been investigated, his comment is in relation to the Cecilia Dapaah saga where millions and millions were found with her in her bank account and in her house. It is neither here nor there.

“The BOST one, was he not the one that when a committee had been set up, stepped in and stopped it. What else could qualify as interference if stopping a committee from going ahead doesn’t qualify as interference?

“In Cecilia Dapaah’s case, his comments that he knows she would be cleared was certainly bad for the optics.”

NACAP 1 has been in force for nearly ten years. It proposes new anti-corruption measures that will constitute the basis for NACAP 2 which will span the period 2025 to 2034.

NACAP constitutes Ghana’s National Framework to drive anti-corruption activities and promote national development.

President Akufo-Addo asked institutions involved in the country’s fight against corruption to critically evaluate Ghana’s maiden “National Anti-Corruption Action Plan” (NACAP 1).

The President insisted that, “there is the need to understand how the action plan has contributed to reducing corruption in the country and to make necessary adjustments to policies and institutional arrangements based on the evaluation results.“

The National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, contains strategic action plans identified and agreed upon by stakeholders during a nationwide consultation exercise.

President Akufo-Addo said “evaluation is important to assess the contribution of NACAP to the fight against corruption in all spheres.”

Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, said the Ghana Statistical Service is ready to lead a broad and participatory evaluation of Ghana’s maiden NACAP, mobilize resources and stimulate interest to develop NACAP 2.