Parliament has recovered GH¢233.3 million in misused public funds while implementing major reforms to strengthen the nation’s anti-corruption framework.
The recovery, follows 261 sittings of the Public Accounts Committee that examined Auditor-General reports detailing financial irregularities across government institutions.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin revealed these figures during a meeting with the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC) mission at the Parliament House on Monday, stating that the recovered amount resulted from 252 specific recommendations made to address systemic weaknesses in public financial management.Â
“Our examinations showed these funds were either misapplied or unaccounted for in various government agencies,” the Speaker said.
As part of broader reforms, Parliament has established an Office of Profits Committee to scrutinize external income sources for Members of Parliament.
This complements the newly created position of Ethics Commissioner, who will enforce conduct standards for legislators.
“All MPs will now carry a revised, pocket-sized Code of Conduct as part of the integrity measures,” he said.
He added that the legislative body has also recruited the former head of anti-corruption at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to lead a newly formed Parliamentary Integrity Department.
This department, according to him will conduct quarterly corruption risk assessments and oversee implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan.
He announced that two new accountability programs will be launched, namely a National Integrity Award to recognize exemplary conduct in public service, and a “Vulture Award” to publicly identify integrity violations.
The Speaker explained these initiatives aim to both reward good behavior and discourage misconduct through public accountability.
Speaker Bagbin referenced Ghana’s pioneering role in establishing the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) as evidence of its long-standing commitment to accountability.
Source: ISD
