‘You can’t start corruption fight with a bank, start with what you have’ – CHRAJ Boss to Special Prosecutor

Following claims by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng that the allocation made to his office in the 2022 budget is inadequate, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, has advised the former to manage with what he has.

“It is not the money alone that can fight corruption. You cannot expect to start work with a bank,” he said.

Speaking at the second edition of the Ghana Integrity Initiative Awards held in Accra on December 9, 2021, Mr. Whittal said: “the fight against corruption must begin from somewhere and not necessarily with money”.

The Special Prosecutor had said that without money, his office could not function efficiently.

Speaking to the press on International Anti-Corruption Day, Kissi Agyebeng said, “without money, we can’t do anything. We will be reduced to writing long letters without any force because we need money for everything, especially our operations. And the question as to whether what was allotted to the OSP is sufficient, I will say generally in Ghana nothing is sufficient”.

The office of the Special Prosecutor has been allocated GH¢194,920,000 in the 2022 budget.

But Joseph Whittal said, “if you start with a ten-storey building as the OSP has got now, and you’re given GH¢40 million to start, [just] start”.

“The OSP should start and more will be added. You cannot expect to start with a bank. Every institution started gradually and made it,” he added.

He stressed that; the fight against corruption is about “commitment” and willingness on the part of persons mandated to do so.

Source: CNR