Anti-graft body Ghana Integrity Initiative has expressed conservations with Ghana’s Attorney General’s Department for accepting a GHC10,000 gift from the China Embassy.
“We are not saying we don’t trust the institution to act with integrity; but if we don’t take care, a public officer might be found wanting when it comes to conflict of interest and when it comes to performing a public duty,” Executive Director of GII Linda Ofori Kwafo told Accra-based Citi FM.
Ghana is currently prosecuting some Chinese engaged in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) including ‘galamsey queen’ Asia Huang.
Ms Kwado, therefore, says the timing of the donation is questionable.
Sun Baohong, the Chinese Ambassador, on Tuesday donated items, including desktop computers, printers, UPS and a cheque for 10,000 Ghana cedis, to the office of the Attorney General.
The donation is to support the Attorney General’s Office, towards organising a stakeholders’ consultative workshop, on the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill, 2017.
The Chinese Ambassador said China-Ghana relations were flourishing with effective cooperation in various fields.
She said it was essential to manage and guide the exchange and cooperation between China and Ghana, by legal means, in order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens of both sides, maintain a healthy market order, as well as combat trans-national crime and ensure social justice.
Ambassador Sun said the Chinese government had always educated Chinese citizens and enterprises abroad, to abide by the laws and regulations of their host countries, and to contribute to the economic and social development of these countries.
“We support the new government of Ghana to carry out anti-corruption campaigns, and expect to strengthen our cooperation and exchanges on both domestic and international combat against corruption,” she said.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Gloria Akuffo, received the donation said a Bill on the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor had already been put together.
She said a stakeholders’ conference on the Bill would be held soon, adding that the aim was to establish the Office by an Act of Parliament, with the sole purpose of strengthening the existing anti-corruption mechanisms in the country.
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