By Kodjo Adams
Accra, April 17, GNA – Mr Michael K. Boadi, Fundraising Manager, Ghana Integrity Initiative, an anti-corruption institution, has called on authorities to hold both ongoing and outgone governments accountable.
That, he stressed, would strengthen the country’s integrity system and serve as a signal to change people’s attitudes towards corruption.
Mr Boadi said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sentencing of Sedinam Tamakloe-Attionu, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
The woman was sentenced in absentia on April 16, 2024, for 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for willfully causing financial loss to the state.
Her accomplice, Daniel Axim, also a former Chief Operating Officer of the same institution, was also incarcerated for five years in hard labour.
They were among others charged with stealing GH¢3.19 million while at MASLOC and willfully causing GH¢1.97 million in financial loss to the state.
He said the sentence by the court was within the remit of the law, adding that the former CEO was tried within a legal framework.
“It is a good thing to hold everyone accountable for any financial malfeasance to build the trust and confidence of the citizens.
“I commend the law enforcement agencies for doing a good job by prosecuting corrupt officials,” he said.
Scientifically, Mr Boadi said the fight against corruption had stagnated, calling for concerted efforts to address the phenomenon.
Mr Boadi was optimistic that the court decision would, among other things, serve as a deterrent to public office holders to adhere to good corporate governance.
Mr Boadi charged authorities to be proactive in handling corruption cases, saying, “We want to see a lot more in prosecution and sanctions.”
He called for the need to elevate public education against corruption to deter people who might want to venture into that space.
The Corruption Perception Index ranked Ghana 70th by score among the 180 countries in 2023.
The average score was 43, and the worst score was 11.
GNA