Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney General and Minister for Justice
A new Conduct of Public Officers Bill which will soon be presented to Parliament is expected to enhance government’s fight against corrupt practices, Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has submitted.
According to him, the new bill will primarily strengthen the role and oversight of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in investigating issues with regard to Public Office holders.
Speaking at a stakeholder forum held on Monday, July 19 Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Dame said the bill when passed seeks to regulate how public officers conduct themselves to ensure their activities are in the interest of the nation.
“The bill will be a shot in the arm of the fight against corruption. Currently, legislation on corruption in Ghana is inadequate to deal extensively with Public Office accountability,” Dame said.
The Conduct of the Public Officers Bill was first laid in the 7th Parliament but did not get the chance to be passed as it reached its expiration term on January 7, 2021 where a new Parliament was sworn-in.
As a result of this, the Attorney General Office has begun the entire process for the bill again with optimism it will be granted Parliamentary Approval by the House.
Meanwhile, the new bill is expected to also address issues regarding conflict of interest, non-declaration of assets as well as provide guidelines that prospective public officials must follow before, during and after holding public office aside from making changes to the current asset declaration regime.