Sir John’s Will: Lawyer Martin Kpebu Lists Ideas On How To Stop Public Officers From Corruption
- Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has proposed ways the state can make it difficult for public officers to amass huge unexplained wealth
- Mr Kpebu said Ghana needs a stand-alone law on mandatory asset declaration for outgoing public officers
- He said a similar strategy worked under Ghana's first President Kwame Nkrumah and it was highly successful
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Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has provided some ideas on how the state can stop public officers from rampant corruption in the wake of Sir John’s leaked will.
According to Mr Kpebu, who is also an anti-corruption campaigner, Ghana has good laws that could easily fight unexplained wealth. However, their implementation remains a challenge.
Mr Kpebu’s comments were contained in an exclusive interview he granted YEN.com.gh in the wake of the leaked property-loaded will of Sir John, the late former CEO of the Forestry Commission.
Source: UGC
The will, which is a matter of litigation in court, contains over 10 different lands of different sizes, at least 12 houses, at least 12 vehicles, businesses, including farms, and huge investments.
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Since the will leaked online, there has been a public outcry about deep-seated corruption. Many felt there are other public office holders who have acquired unexplained wealth in similar proportion.
Mr Kpebu gave the following ideas on how the state can make it difficult for public officers to loot the country’s resources:
1. Ghana needs a stand-alone law on asset declaration for people going into public service. Mr Kpebu believes the law must make it mandatory for a person leaving public to appear before a committee declare their assets.
2. The committee – according to the provisions of the current constitution – must be set up by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
“CHRAJ should be resourced to set up this permanent committee to receive these persons [outgoing public officers] and go through their asset declaration,” he said.
3. This mandatory appearance before a committee by public office holders will make it easy for members of the public to drop evidence of the stashed wealth of an outgoing public officer scheduled to appear before the committee.
“In our history this has worked before. The Jiagge Commission under Kwame Nkrumah did a marvelous job by exposing corruption by public officers,” he said.
Sir John: Martin Kpebu Shocked Over List Of Properties Acquired By NPP Guru After Akufo-Addo Came To Power
In a related story, YEN.com.gh reported that Martin Kpebu has expressed shock over the details of Sir John’s leaked will that shows the properties he acquired after New Patriotic Party (NPP) came to power.
Martin Kpebu said the numerous properties listed in the will of Nana Owusu Afriyie, known popularly as Sir John, make concerns about heavy corruption in the public sector legitimate.
“It gives credence to the suspicion of Ghanaians that politicians are looting us left right and centre. That is what this will lends credence to,” he said.
Sir John’s Will: Houses, Businesses, Lands, Bank Accounts And Other Properties Listed In Leaked Document
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported on the eye-popping details of the leaked last will and testament of Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, which contains a huge collection of houses, businesses, lands and bank accounts.
YEN.com.gh has sighted the leaked document published by many media outlets, including Accra-based The Fourth Estate, which shows the late former CEO of the Forestry Commission owned 12 houses, 12 parcels of lands of different sizes, 12 different types of private vehicles, among others.
His vast Achimota Forest lands have dominated discussions because the will was leaked at a time when Nana Akufo-Addo’s government has been accused on social media of using an Executive Instrument to sell off large parts of the forest lands for commercial development.
Source: YEN.com.gh
