The Office of the Special Prosecutor says it is investigating over 152 cases of corruption at various stages.
They include an investigation into contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, a company registered in Ghana, and the Ghana Revenue Authority, as well as investigations into the appropriation, sale, and lease of state-owned lands and properties to individuals and corporate bodies since 1993.
This is in a statement signed by Mr Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor on its fourth half-yearly report.
The report covering the period from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, is submitted in accordance with Section 3(3) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The report outlines achievements, challenges, and the overall commitment of the Office to combating corruption.
The statement said the Office was currently investigating three significant criminal cases and was in progress on the prosecution front.
The trials at this stage of investigation include the investigation of the former Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority and his brother-in-law, which is underway at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra.
Others are the trial involving the former Chief Executive, former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations, former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Finance and Administration of the Northern Development Authority, and the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited.
These are pending before the Criminal Division of the High Court in Tamale.
Additionally, the report stated that the trial of the President’s nominee for the position of Chief Executive of Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region was pending before the Criminal Division of the High Court, Kumasi.
Some cases according to the report, were yet to proceed to full trial, including that of a former Minister for Sanitation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
The report said the former Minister for Sanitation’s investigations had so far shown that the case was about alleged money laundering and structuring and may be referred to the proper agency if necessary.
The report said the case involving Mr Charles Bissue, the Secretary of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), was yet to proceed to full trial.
The statement said the Office had closed a number of cases, including the investigation into the alleged attempted bribery of the majority caucus of the Parliament by an undisclosed well-known and wealthy businessman.
“Additionally, the case of the former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Charles Adu Boahen, as contained in an investigative documentary titled Galamsey Economy, published by the celebrated Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his associates operating under the corporate name of Tiger Eye P.I., has also been concluded,” it said.
The Office disrupted a syndicate involved in counterfeit foreign currency production, and the case has been partially referred to the Ghana Police Service.
The statement said the Office had engaged with stakeholders, including the judiciary and international agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice of the United States for collaboration to discharge its duties efficiently.
It said the Office had started preparatory work to open regional offices in Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale.
That strategic initiative, the statement said, reflected the Office’s commitment to extending its reach and impact, ensuring that the fight against corruption was not confined to specific regions, but resonated throughout the nation.
GNA
KK
19 Jan. 2024
