Ghana - US military deal: Joyce Mogtari questions why 'shithole' country associates itself with US

Joyce Bawa Mogtari

Special Aide to former President, John Mahama has questioned government why it went ahead to sign a military agreement with the United States at a time US president has referred to African states and some Caribbean nations as “shitholes” countries. 

Early this year, President Donald Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “shitholes countries”. He made this comments during a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House, The Washington Post reported.

According to Joyce Bawa Mogtari, such comments from President Trump were 'unfortunate' and regrettable where Africans never expected this to have emerged from a leader of a great ally. 

Her  response was to a question I asked the panel - "why does the US want to build a military base in a 'shithole' country?" 

"Unfortunate comments, uncharacteristic of any American president that we have ever actually encountered, but of course this is a totally different administration". 

"It actually brings into question really why we still want to put aside our national interest, our national sovereignty and subject ourselves regularly to this sort of comments by a leader of a country that we consider as an ally", Madam Mogtari stated.

She said this during the BBC World Questions debate last Tuesday April 10th at the British Council auditorium, Accra, Ghana.   

The host of the debate Jonathan Dimbleby, a veteran BBC broadcaster, immediately interrupted and asked if the previous administration, where Madam Mogtari was a member, also surrendered Ghana’s sovereignty when they signed a similar agreement with the US.

On this note, the special aide disagreed. She noted that the current military agreement cannot be compared with the previous one because it is an 'enhanced agreement'

"On this point Jonathan I think I will disagree. I do think that we do have existing agreements that we do have in the past. In terms of military co-operation, we have always indeed had military co-operation not just with the US, but several other countries". 

"I believe that this particular agreement, as it describes itself in its preamble, is an enhanced agreement, it does contain other portions that separately different from what we have before", she said. 

Panel members and invitees during the debate

A social entrepreneur, development activist and president of Mpedigree, Mr. Bright Simmons was of the view that the current military agreement with the US is a substandard agreement. 

He added that the people at the helm of affairs have not done the right thing for Ghana in this military agreement. 

"If you compare the quality of the agreement we have with the US, since 1998, to those that other countries have with the US, ours is not of the requisite quality. So the political elites have to acknowledge that they have not done right by us", Mr. Simmons stated.

Communications minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, however, believed that the current military agreement with the US was born out of the increasing number of terrorism in the West African sub-region. 

And that there is the need to have better intelligence on the ground in order to protect the country from “transnational organized crimes and terrorist activities”.

“We are living in an increasingly dangerous neighbourhood where there is terrorist activity around us and on our borders in Cote d’ivoire and in Burkina Faso. We have seen increased military activity, terrorist activity". 

"We may not be able to have the capability on our own to resist that to have forward knowledge or advanced intelligence of those activities. We do need international co-operation to fight transnational organized crimes and terrorist activities”, the minister mentioned.

The BBC World Questions is a programme designed for citizens in their respective countries to have face to face interaction with members in decision making positions and ask them questions on topical issues that are directly or indirectly facing them. 

Among the panel was the General Secretary of the National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches Bishop Titi-Ofei.   

Please watch video below. 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/848313/joyce-mogtari-questions-why-a-shithole-country-associates.html

Rawlings and I Are One (Part 2); the interesting twist (Updated)

Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham

Archival documents obtained from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in the UK have proven that Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham (1865-1950 G.C.B, K.C.M.G., D.S.O) did not father my grandfather. 

However, another British soldier by name Major Robert Dundas Whigham (King's Own Scottish Borderers, Lancashire Fusiliers), born on 31st January, 1873, actually fathered my grandfather. 

This is because, Gen. Sir R. D. Whigham never had any West African Service; at the time my grandfather - Robert Dundas Whigham was born (14th October, 1911), he was in South Africa. Major Robert Dundas Whigham was then serving in the Gold Coast.

The documents below show the service records of the two Robert Dundas Whigham.

Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham (1865-1950)

Major Robert Dundas Whigham (1873-1920s)

"I read your email and article for ‘Modern Ghana’ with interest. I also found a similar article wherein you give scans of the Government Gazette of the time. I regret to inform you that you have made a mistake in the identity of Robert Dundas Whigham, leading you to the erroneous conclusion that his records were deliberately hidden due to his having fathered an illegitimate child". 

"Your ancestor had exactly the same name as the General Sir Robert Dundas Whigham but was born on a different date", Mr. Sebastian Puncher, Deputy Curator, The Sandhurst Collection noted. 

Service records of the two soldiers

I was shocked and emotional when he revealed this interesting but "annoying" twist. For the past eight years when I started researching to know who my identity was, I have never come across another soldier with the same full name as Robert Dundas Whigham. Interesting, isn't it? 

The documents Mr Puncher attached revealed that Gen. Sir R. D. Whigham never had any West African spell. He took part in the battle of Atbara in Sudan, was employed with the Egyptian Army, South Africa etc. 

At the time, Major R. D. Whigham was on his third tour as a Lt. of the the Infantry, West African Frontier Force (W.A.F.F.), Gold Coast Regiment (GCR) from 1907-1911 stationed in Kumasi, now Ghana's second largest city. Before that, he had been to Nigeria from (1900-06)- second tour. 

The West African Frontier Force was formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone and Gambia. 

Short info on Major Robert Dundas Whigham 

Major R. D. Whigham left the Gold Coast on 22nd December, 1911 for his mandatory leave to Liverpool after he had fathered a son -my grandfather, born on 14th October, 1911. His name was Robert Dundas Whigham, a former foreman of the Ghana Railway Corporation. 

Short info on Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham

He never returned to the Gold Coast. As to why he didn't come back from his mandatory leave, I am yet to know. New information suggest he died four years after leaving Ghana. 

I have already poured out my sentiments and feelings in the Part 1 of this article (please check https://themanualgh.blogspot.com/2017/11/rawlings-and-i-are-one-comparative.html?m=1) and there is no need to continue it here.

My parents 

In Ghana, he was single. It would have been prudent for him to return to at least, do the honourable thing by letting the child know who his actual father was. 

As the son of a British major, my grandfather didn't deserve the kind of hardship he went through and the circumstances leading to his death in 29th June, 1984 was really a sad one. 

Apologies to the family of Gen. Sir Robert  Dundas Whigham. However, in another document seen shows that Major Robert Dundas Whigham mentioned one Capt. Whigham as his brother. Though they share different fathers, but it is possible the two could be cousins. 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/846283/rawlings-and-i-are-one-part-2-the-interesting-twist.html

Punish EC staff caught collecting bribe - Dr. Oduro Osae

Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Technical Advisor, MLGRD

The technical advisor to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) Dr. Eric Oduro Osae is charging the Electoral Commission (EC) to punish a staff caught taking bribe before rendering public services. 

According to him, punishing the staff will serve as a deterring signal which will prevent people from doing it again. He said this last Wednesday April 4th during Joy FM's Super Morning anti -corruption show, Corruption Watch, hosted by Daniel Dadzie.  

"This woman (EC staff) for instance, must be punished in the Kasoa district and people there should be satisfied that she has been punished".

"Once this is done, it sends a deterring signal to people and they will end up not doing it again", Dr. Oduro Osae said. 

Dr. Osae (left), Mrs. Addah (middle) & Dundas Whigham

Among the panel on the show were Mrs. Mary A. Addah, Programmes Manager, Ghana Integrity Initiative and Dundas Whigham, an investigative journalist who twice within a week captured the EC staff collecting bribe before replacing lost Voter Identity (ID) card. 

Dr. Oduro Osae touched on the culture and habit of Ghanaians which is impeding the fight against corruption. He noted  that we have not cultivated the habit of encouraging people to report without fear. 

This, the technical advisor added that is largely due to mistrust in some state institutions. "People know when they report, their confidentiality or identity cannot be hidden", he stressed. 

He further touched on the security of the journalist who exposed this canker. "This gentleman (Dundas Whigham) has exposed one corrupt act. What is the benefit? Who is supporting him by way of finances and protection? He will have to manage it himself", Dr. Oduro Osae lamented. 

In the wake of frustrations poured out by the journalist during the show,  owing to the fact that the EC has not taken any action, after six months since the commission's attention was drawn to it, Mrs. Mary Addah had some unique suggestions. 

She stated that dealing with some state institutions, especially the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) usually takes time due to some challenges, particularly with staffing. 

However, she added that GII and CHRAJ have been working fruitfully for quite a long time and have received positive responses from the latter. 

"I appreciate his frustrations, but then we have been doing this for long and we have achieved some results. We do not necessarily seek to justify some of the lapses in the public sector, but they have actual challenges with staffing and so sometimes it takes longer than you would expect to have results", Mrs Addah noted. 

She added that it is important to continue pushing to ensure that this issue is not forgotten. "Investigations must be accompanied with enforcement", she stressed. 

Story Background  

On June 2017, an EC staff at the Kasoa office, in the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region Madam Harriet Djanie was caught twice on tape within a week collecting Ghc30 and Ghc40 respectively before replacing a voter ID.

According to the EC, when persons lose their voter ID card, such persons must pay Ghc5 at the Ghana Commercial Bank, then send the receipt to the district where the previous registration took place for a new voter ID to be issued.

However, some staff at the Kasoa office and Ridge Head Office have been charging unofficial amount ranging from Ghc30 to Ghc50 aside the official amount before replacing lost voter IDs. 

Since the EC's attention was drawn to it on October, 2017, the commission has failed to take any action. 

Over 500 people have signed an online petition, orchestrated by Klarity to press the EC take action and this will soon be delivered to the EC. 

According to the programmes manager of GII, CHRAJ is still investigating the issue and will soon come out with their findings.

Users should log onto Klarity.org (anti -corruption platform where people can upload videos that are corrupt in nature) to watch the videos on petty corruption at the Electoral Commission. 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/846003/punish-ec-staff-caught-collecting-bribedr-oduro-osae-fumes.html

The Hypocrisy Behind State Institutions Mandated to Fighting Corruption

Ghana President H. E. Nana Akufo-Addo

How many investigative journalists  do we have in Ghana? How many of them are bold enough to show their faces to prove their real identity? Even Africa's most decorated investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas does not do that.

This is because of the high risk involved in this kind of journalism. It is important to share this life experience after four years of practicing as a freelance journalist, specializing on investigative journalism. 

When a journalist uses his own resources and risks his life to go undercover to expose corrupt acts and officials, state institutions who are directly or indirectly involved in the fight against corruption must immediately act after their attention is drawn to them. 

When it is proven beyond every reasonable doubts that indeed corruption occurred, the people involved must be punished as the law requires. This will deter others from doing same. 

However, when these institutions fail to take action, and the perceived culprits keep monitoring your movement, it puts your security at risk. 

This is the central idea of more than five investigative stories I have done. I have never admitted to being in a wrong profession, but I admit to being in a wrong country whose state institutions are themselves highly corrupt, dormant and hypocrites.

The following are some state institutions I have dealt with directly.

Ghana Health services (GHS).

Hon. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health 

On Wednesday, 5th October, 2016, the New Crusading Guide Newspaper published a leading story titled "Rot at Amasaman Hospital Uncovered! Over 10,000 patients folders recycled and sold". 

This is a story where the hospital made more than Gh50,000 by destroying patients records in their folders, rebranded and sold them to new patients who attended to the facility. This practice, according to the GHS and the Department of archives was against the 2015 retention policy of the GHS, and therefore illegal. 

I met with some top officials of the GHS in April 2017 and later followed it up with a letter (EMS) addressed to a Deputy Director General of the GHS dated 22nd May, 2017. The honest response from one of the officials during the meeting was that they don't buy the newspaper and that was why they haven't heard it. 

Destroyed patients folders put in sacks 

They stated that the case would be forwarded to the Greater Accra Regional Office for investigations to be done then keep me posted.

After a year, the GHS failed to carry out any investigations, failed to keep me posted and failed to answer any of my calls.

Some destroyed folders at the hospital 

Aside this, I met with then Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Mr Tony Goodman on 5th October, 2017. He got a copy of the story, promised to forward it to the sector minister but failed. He never answered my calls and messages (Whatsapp). 

Electoral Commission (EC)

Mrs. Charllote Osei, EC Chair 

Recently, the Electoral Commission (EC) has been bedevilled with some corruption allegations. I have concrete evidence to state emphatically that the EC is corrupt and Mr. Kofi Dzakpasu, head of communications at the EC is aware.

I forwarded some videos and link to him in October 2017. In the videos, some EC staff, including those at its Head office at Ridge, Accra have been collecting unofficial money ranging from Ghc30 to Ghc50 per person when a prospective voter had misplaced his Voter Identity (ID) card and wished to have a new card. 

And within few days or months, its office at Kasoa in the Central Region could get more than Ghc20,000 from this practice. It was petty, but bigger corruption in nature. 

When contacted, Mr. Dzakpasu responded “may be I am having some challenges getting your videos but it is all that I got. And it doesn’t tell me much about what you are alluding to and alleging".

"All the same we are going to study it and revert. I am very eager and anxious to get to the bottom and unravel this thing so if there are some more videos that I have not gotten please forward them to me”, he noted.

When new evidence was sent to him via WhatsApp, he reacted with the surprise emoji and added “Huh”?

“I have submitted to the Commission. The Commission will study it. Those involved will be invited for their side of the story and an investigation must be made. This is a serious allegation and as such we need to follow due process and those involved have the right to be heard”, he stated.

The most fascinating thing about Mr Dzakpasu is that when Joy FM's Corruption Watch aired and discussed the story on 10th January, 2018, he made the same comments the following day when he was interviewed.

After six months, the EC has failed to act on it and Mr. Dzakpasu has failed to answer my calls. He can never deny.

Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)

Mr. Joseph Wittal, CHRAJ Boss 

Finally, one would expect that a constitutionally mandated state institution, - the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), will be the last resort when I feel threatened.

However, my recent and first dealing with them has never been different from that of the aforementioned state institutions.

After I finished investigating "petty corruption at 

the Electoral Commission", I submitted my footages to the Tiger Eye Foundation and Klarity (anti- corruption campaigners). These groups forwarded my evidences and complaint to the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and it was subsequently sent to CHRAJ on 17th December, 2017.

I met with CHRAJ on 25th January, 2018. I discussed my evidences with them and gave them copies of my videos and receipt. They promised to do their own investigations and give me a copy of their report soon. 

The last time I communicated with CHRAJ on this story was after leaving their office, same day I met with them. Since then, I haven't heard from them.

The resulting effects of the failure of these institutions to take action will mean that the safety and security of the journalist will always be at risk.

https://www.modernghana.com/news/845397/the-hypocrisy-behind-state-institutions-mandated-to-fighting.html 

Video: Corruption at the Electoral Commission, Ghana

Mrs Charlotte Osei, EC Chair

Ghanaians petition EC to take action against corrupt official

Mrs. Charlotte Osei, EC Chair

Over 500 Ghanaian citizens, have signed a petition initiated by Klarity and Tiger Eye Foundation in the early parts of 2018, to the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana to act against allegations of corruption against its official. 

The petitioners are asking the EC to take action on a case filmed by an activist to expose an EC official implicated in a corrupt act. In addition, they are reminding the EC through the petition, not to renege on EC’s promise to deal with the culprit by January 24th, 2018 after it was exposed on the Klarity web platform. 

Video evidence uploaded on Klarity exposes an EC officer taking money from a person who went to the EC office in Kasoa for the Voter’s ID card replacement in June, 2017. A service supposed to cost GHS 5 ended up costing the person 8 times more. 

To date the petition has received a massive endorsement from over 500 individuals, who have signed an online petition calling for the Electoral Commission to take action on this case. Signatures are continuously being added to the petition by petitioners by individuals who want to see petty corruption at EC investigated and dealt with. 

“We believe that corruption should be high risk and a low gain activity, and are happy that many Ghanaians are taking this stand against everyday corruption”, said Eliza Kücükaslan, CEO of Klarity. 

No statement on this case from the EC has been given to date. The petitioners believe for too long corrupt official in the commission have not been held accountable. Corruption Watch on Joy FM reported that the Head of Communications at EC said they would respond with a statement within a week on January 17th, 2018. In addition, CHRAJ has met the victim and they decided to further investigate the EC case. 

The petition will be delivered to the EC Head of Communication. Klarity and Tiger Eye Foundation along with the over 500 signatories calling the Electoral Commission to get to the bottom of the case and share the outcome from their investigation with the public of Ghana.

https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Ghanaians-petition-EC-to-take-action-against-corrupt-official-635830

2 Adjabeng Court Registrars Interdicted Over Embezzlement of Fines

Mrs Patience Nai (left) and Mr David Laryea 

The Chief Justice, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, has interdicted two registrars of the Adjabeng Magistrate Court in Accra who are being probed for embezzling court fines and fees.

They are Mrs Patience Nai, a High Court registrar, and Mr David Laryea, a Circuit Court registrar, who is also an assistant referee.

Their interdiction has become necessary so they do not interfere with an ongoing probe as auditors work to recover some missing case dockets and receipt books that are crucial to the investigations.

But the audit team dispatched by the Chief Justice to investigate acts of embezzlement at the court faces a daunting task after discovering that several case dockets and receipt books that are relevant to the investigations have gone missing.

The establishment of the probe and the subsequent interdiction follow three months of investigations and expose by the Daily Graphic on many court fines and fees embezzled by court registrars at the Adjabeng court.

Age-old practice

The source said the diversion of court fees and fines was an age-old practice at the Adjabeng Registry, spanning several years.

A three-month investigation by the Daily Graphic has established that a fine of GH¢2,400 in the case of the Republic v. Eric Duah, paid by the convict on May 17, 2017, was diverted and embezzled by the two registrars.

Again, in the case of the Republic v. Peter Mahamadu Seidu, the defendant was convicted to a fine of GH¢3,000, which was also not paid into the Consolidated Account but into private pockets, as usual.

Though the two registrars who initially denied any involvement in the series of the embezzlement at the courts were later made to refund the money, it is unclear how much money has been embezzled by the two since the trade is said to have begun some years back.

Stealing and embezzlement of court fines and fees had become rampant and widespread across the country, according to a member of staff of the Judicial Service who pleaded anonymity.

He said the acts of the two registrars at the Adjabeng court were just a microcosm of the widespread stealing of fines and fees across the country’s courts.

https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/2-adjabeng-court-registrars-interdicted-over-embezzlement-of-fines.html

CJ probes 2 court registrars - Over embezzlement of fines

The Chief Justice, Ms. Justice Sophia Akuffo

The Chief Justice, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, has dispatched three top auditors from the Judicial Service to probe embezzlement at the Adjabeng District Magistrate Court in Accra, while calls for the interdiction of the two accused registrars intensify.

The team, led by the Head of the Non-Tax Revenue Unit of the Judicial Service, Mr Eric Boamah, stormed the Adjabeng Court last week to collect receipt books covering fees and fines for verification.

Mrs Patience Nai, a High Court Registrar, and Mr David Laryea, a Circuit Court Registrar, who is also an assistant referee, have, for many months, allegedly diverted and pocketed unspecified sums of money in court fines and fees.

A source close to the registrar’s office hinted the Daily Graphic that the diversion of court fees and fines was a practice at the Adjabeng Court Registry spanning many years.

A three-month investigation undertaken by the Daily Graphic established that conviction to a fine of GH¢2,400 in the case of the Republic v. Eric Duah, paid by the convict on May 17, 2017, was diverted and embezzled by the two cashiers.

Mrs Patience Nai and Mr. David Laryea

 The Daily Graphic has gathered that the investigations instituted by the audit team established by the Chief Justice would take a month to complete.

Already, the team has spent more than five days at the court verifying court receipts against amounts deposited into the Consolidated Fund.

A source at the Judicial Service who pleaded anonymity told the Daily Graphic that “all the case dockets and receipt books for the last two years have been collected by the auditors”.

Group demands interdiction

Ahead of the probe, Imani Ghana and the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), in separate interviews, called for the interdiction of those alleged to have pocketed court fines and fees.

The Executive Director of the GII, Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, called for the interdiction of the parties involved in the corrupt act at the court, so that they did not interfere with investigations.

She said if the positions of those being investigated could influence the process, then they must be required to step aside.

“Asking them to step aside is to ensure that those accused of embezzlement do not interfere with the investigations,” she said.
Mrs Ofori-Kwafo called for the automation of the payment process to minimise corruption at the courts, which was becoming widespread.

She said several studies by anti-corruption institutions in the past had pointed to widespread corruption within the Judiciary, which had not been adequately resolved.

The President of Imani Ghana, Mr Franklin Cudjoe, also added his voice to calls for the interdiction of the two implicated in the embezzlement scandal.
That, he said, would pave the way for unimpeded investigations to unravel the level of embezzlement at the court.

“People who have been implicated in the investigations must be told to step aside, paving way for full auditing to be done. This will lead to a perfect conclusion to be arrived at,” he said.

Missing court cash

According to the 2015 Auditor-General’s report, the Judicial Service consistently failed to reconcile revenue totalling GH¢5,815,845 million and £75,000.

The report stated that the Auditor-General could, therefore, not confirm whether the revenue and deposits had been credited to the accounts of the courts.

Again, in 2016, the commercial courts under-stated their revenue by GH¢21,033,516. The 2016 report stated that two cashiers at the Commercial Court in Accra inadvertently under-stated total collections in the revenue and deposit cash books by GH¢20,893,095.76 and GH¢140,420.24, respectively, resulting in a total understatement of GH¢21,033,516.

According to the Auditor-General, the situation occurred due to the failure of the accounts units to carry out regular reconciliation exercise.

It is recalled that in 2016, a cashier at the Ho District Magistrate Court, Ms Theresa Tetteh of the HFC Bank, allegedly misappropriated GH¢12,142.60 from the money collected as court fines and fees.

Again, in 2015, Ms Agatha Abassa-Addo, a cashier at the Nkroful Magistrate Court in the Western Region, allegedly caused the payment of GH¢33,590.70 from the Deposit Account as refund to claimants but failed to produce evidence of application letters, acknowledgement receipt, witnesses and contact addresses.

Between January 2010 and November 2011, Mr Marcellinus Tordidzah, a cashier at the magistrate court, had embezzled GH¢2,957.20 in revenue to the courts.

Stealing at BA courts

The Auditor-General had, in 2016, recommended that the accountant of the Fiapre Circuit Court ‘B’ should be held liable for his inability to produce bank statements from the Ghana Commercial Bank to authenticate total revenue of GH¢193,393.20 purportedly deposited with the bank.

In 2016, the Sunyani High Court collected total revenue of GH¢135,829.00 from judgement deposits between March and July 2015.

However, reconciliation of the cashbook and the bank statement revealed that GH¢125,369.70 was rather lodged, leaving GH¢10,495.30 unaccounted for.

According to the Auditor-General in its 2016 report, the registrar’s failure to supervise the work of the cashier and undertake regular reconciliation had resulted in the anomaly.

It consequently recommended that the total amount of GH¢10,495.30 be refunded by the registrar and the cashier.

https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/cj-probes-2-court-registrars-over-embezzlement-of-fines.html

Court Officials Loot Account; they pocket court fines

 

Thousands of Ghana Cedis in court fines and fees have been lost due to alleged corruption and embezzlement by some court staff of the Adjabeng District Court Registry in Accra.

A Daily Graphic investigation has established that the fines and fees charged by the court have been embezzled by some cashiers of the registrar’s office.

Mrs Patience Nai, a High Court registrar and Mr David Laryea, are alleged to have diverted and pocketed money in court fines and fees which should have been paid into the Consolidated Fund.

A source close to the Adjabeng District Court Registrar’s Office hinted theDaily Graphic that the diversion of court fees and fines was an age-old practice at the Adjabeng Registry.

A three-month investigation by the Daily Graphic has established that a fine of GH¢2,400, in the case of The Republic v. Eric Duah, paid by the convict on May 17, 2017, was diverted and embezzled by the two cashiers.

The cashiers have confessed to the Daily Graphic that they indeed did not pay the money into the Consolidated Fund when they were confronted with evidence. Again, in the case of The Republic v Peter Mahamadu Seidu, the defendant was fined GH¢3,000, which was also not paid into the Consolidated Fund, but rather lined the private pockets of the two cashiers.

Though the two cashiers initially denied any involvement in the embezzlements at the courts, they were later made to refund those money to the state.

Stealing and embezzlement of court fines and fees had become rampant and widespread across the country, according to a worker of the Judicial Service, who pleaded anonymity.

He said the acts of the two cashiers at the Adjabeng courts were just a microcosm of the widespread stealing of fines and fees in other courts.

Series of cash embezzlement

According to the 2015 Auditor-General’s report, the Judicial Service consistently failed to revenue totaling GH¢5,815,845 million and £75,000. The report states that the Auditor-General cannot, therefore, confirm whether the revenue and deposits have been credited to the accounts of the courts.

Again, according to the 2016 Auditor-General’s Report, the commercial courts understated their revenue by GH¢21,033,516 million.

The report states that two cashiers at a Commercial Court in Accra inadvertently understated total collections in the revenue and deposit cash books by GH¢20,893 million and GH¢140,420.24 resulting in a total understatement of GH¢21,033,516 million.

According to the Auditor- General, the situation occurred due to the failure of the accounts units to carry out regular reconciliation exercise.

In 2016, a cashier at the Ho District Magistrate Court, Ms Theresa Tetteh of HFC Bank, misappropriated GH¢12,142.60 from the money collected as court fines and fees.

Again, in 2015, Ms Agatha Abassa-Addo, a cashier at the Nkroful Magistrate Court in the Western Region, caused the payment of GH¢33,590.70 from the Deposit Account as refund to claimants but failed to produce evidence of application letters, acknowledgement receipt, witnesses and contact addresses.

Missing court cash

Between January 2010 and November 2011, Mr Marcellinus Tordidzah, a cashier at the Magistrate Court had embezzled GH¢2,957.20 in revenues to the courts.

The Auditor-General had in 2016 recommended that the Accountant of Fiapre Circuit Court ‘B’ should be held liable for his inability to produce bank statements from Ghana Commercial Bank to authenticate total revenue of GH¢193,393.20 purportedly deposited with the bank.

In 2016, the Sunyani High Court collected a total revenue of GH¢135,829.00 from judgement deposits between March and July 2015. However, reconciliation of the cashbook and the bank statement revealed that GH¢125,369.70 was rather lodged, leaving GH¢10,495.30 unaccounted for.

According to the Auditor-General’s 2016 Report, the Registrar’s failure to supervise the work of the cashier and undertake regular reconciliation resulted in the anomaly.

It consequently recommended that the total amount of GH¢10,495.30 be refunded by the registrar and the cashier.

The Auditor-General, therefore, accused the management of the country’s courts of failure to prepare bank reconciliation statement, resulting in the nondetection of the acts of embezzlement.

Letter to Chief Justice

A letter from a judge of the Adjabeng District Court, Mr Isaac Addo, to the Chief Justice, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, which was seen by the Daily Graphic, expressed concern about several gaps in revenue collection at the courts, leading to embezzlement of funds at the courts.

Though, the Judge had declined to talk to the Daily Graphic when contacted, his letter to the Chief Justice has nailed the two staff at the Adjabeng court registry, Mrs Patience Nai and Mr David Laryea.

“I strongly believe that these acts have been going on at the court for a very long time and may also happen in the other courts,” the letter states.

Judge Isaac Addo, therefore, recommended that a team be established as soon as possible to carry out auditing of all the dockets in all the courts throughout the country to bring the perpetrators to book.

https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/court-officials-loot-accounts-they-pocket-court-fines.html

CHRAJ TO PROBE CORRUPTION AT EC

Mr. Joseph Wittal, CHRAJ Boss 

A three member panel of the Anti-Corruption unit under the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), is to investigate acts of bribery allegation at the Electoral Commission (EC) where voters who have misplaced  their voter Identity (ID) cards and wish to replace them are made to pay unofficial amount of money. 

The panel met with the private investigative journalist – Dundas Whigham, who went undercover to expose corruption at the EC. Evidences have since been submitted to the commission, but they have failed to act on the matter. 

Evidences of the investigative work were aired and discussed on Joy FM Super Morning Show Programme, Corruption Watch on January 10^th, 2018. 

Meeting With CHRAJ

The meeting follows a complaint the investigator made to the Tiger Eye Foundation and Klarity (both anti-corruption organisations) alleging extorting of unofficial amount of money by some EC staff before replacing lost Voter ID cards to prospective voters.

The two anti-corruption organisations forwarded the complaint to one of their partners in the fight against corruption - the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), where it was subsequently forwarded to CHRAJ on the 8^th December, 2017.

The three member panel headed by Madam Adeline Woananu, a senior investigator said they have received a letter from the GII and wanted to probe further on the said corruption case.

“We have received a complaint from the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) alleging corruption at the Electoral Commission. GII stated in the letter to contact you (investigator) for further clarification and evidence on the matter”, she said.

After being showed the evidences involved in the corruption case, the panel stated their willingness to probe further by inviting all parties involved and publish their report shortly.

Facts of the Case

On January 10^th, 2018, Joy FM Super Morning Show programme – Corruption Watch, aired and discussed a clear example of extortion where prospective voters who have misplaced their voter ID Cards must go through should they wish to have them replaced. 

The video evidences were since uploaded on Klarity.org – an anti-corruption platform where users can share acts of corruption by providing reliable facts for actions to be taken.

Officially, prospective voters who have misplaced their Voter ID must pay an amount of Ghc5 at the Ghana Commercial Bank and take the bank receipt to the EC district office where the previous registration took place to have it replaced, an official statement by the EC says.

However, some EC staff, including those at the EC head office in Accra and Kasoa are manipulating the system by charging unofficial amount of money ranging from Ghc30 to Ghc50 per person before replacing them.

The investigator posed as someone who has misplaced his voter ID and went to the Kasoa EC office, in the Awutu Senya East District of the Central Region where the staff Madam Harriet Djanie was caught on tape, twice collecting Ghc30 and Ghc40 before replacing lost voter ID. 

The reason was that they have run out of laminate and that one of their staff must be sent to another EC office to get some of the laminate. Thus, the investigator must take care of the person’s transportation (TNT). 

However, checks from the EC then, revealed that there were no shortage of laminates.

This occurred on the 8^th June, 2017. However, the investigator's camera failed to get a good content to back his claim during the time money (Ghc30) was being exchanged from one hand to the other.

In order to prove that corruption had taken place and the quest to gather enough evidences, the investigator went there again on 16^th June, 2017, but this time through a colleague with the assistance of a good recording gadget. 

Again, the EC staff demanded Ghc40 (an increase of Ghc10 in less than a week); and the same reason –“we have run out of laminate”.  

The unofficial amount may seem too small, but bigger corruption in nature. In one of the videos, the staff showed a list of “over 500” people who were yet to come for their cards but “there is no laminate”. Should Ghc40 be multiplied by 500, the result will be Ghc20,000; just at one EC office.

In one of the videos, a security officer at the EC’s Head office confirmed this same practice of extortion by some of their members.        

PETTY, BIGGER CORRUPTION: EC Officer Caught Collecting Bribe Using “TNT” in Disguise

 Mr. Kofi Dzakpasu,Head of Communications Public Relations of the EC

An Electoral Commission (EC) officer at the Kasoa office in the Awutu Senya East constituency of the Central Region has been caught on camera collecting bribe before replacing lost Voter Identity (ID) card.

Madam Harriet Djanie usually uses “transport" (TNT) fare ranging from Ghc30 to Gh50 per person as a way of getting people to become victims to her disguised tactics.

Twice she was caught on camera collecting bribe before replacing lost voter ID card; a private investigations supported by Tiger Eye Foundation and Klarity (both anti-corruption organizations) has revealed.

This corrupt activity perpetrated by some EC staff is nothing new to the officers at its Head office in Accra.

Officially, “persons requesting for replacement of lost voter Identification (ID) cards are to pay five Ghana cedis into the Electoral Commission’s bank account”.

This directive was issued by the EC’s Sunyani Municipal Officer, Mr. Yaw Opoku (Source: Ghana news Agency, April 30th, 2016) 

He further added that persons must present a copy of the deposit slip to the Commission’s District Office for registration and issuance of a new voter ID card. This directive is clearly being abused, not only at the Kasoa EC office, but also at its head office at Ridge, Accra.

EC Response

When contacted with an evidence on whether the EC has now tasked its staff to charge transport fares in addition to the official fee of Ghc5 before replacing lost voter ID, the Head of Communications, Public Relations of the EC Mr. Kofi Dzakpasu stated that “may be I am having some challenges getting your videos but it is all that I got. And it doesn’t tell me much about what you are alluding to and alleging".

"All the same we are going to study it and revert. I am very eager and anxious to get to the bottom and unravel this thing so if there are some more videos that I have not gotten please forward them to me”, Mr. Dzakpasu noted. 

When new evidence was sent to him via WhatsApp, he reacted with the surprise emoji and added “Huh”?

“I have submitted to the Commission. The Commission will study it. Those involved will be invited for their side of the story and an investigation must be made. This is a serious allegation and as such we need to follow due process and those involved have the right to be heard”, he stated.

At Kasoa Office 

   

According to Madam Djanie, her outfit has ran out of laminates and that she has to send a colleague to a different EC office by providing the transport fare to facilitate the movement of her colleague to bring some of the laminates to her office.

However, checks at the EC head office then revealed that there were no shortage of laminates.

The amount - Ghc30 and Ghc40 per person may not be any big money in the eyes of many Ghanaians, however, in another video, she was captured pulling a tall list of over 500 people who were yet to come for their Voter ID cards because there were no laminates.

This makes the practice not petty alone, but bigger corruption in nature. Should Ghc40 be multiplied with 500, you are getting Ghc20,000. Checks from some regions have revealed similar practice by some EC staff. 

At Accra EC Head Office, Ridge 

In one of the videos shot at the EC head office in Accra, a staff said “people have started reporting us because some of the staff inside there charge money before replacing lost voter ID cards”

This staff became suspicious of our presence there and directed us to go to where we registered. This is how come the Kasoa EC officer was caught.

Sequence of Events 

On our first day of visit, Madam Harriet Djanie noted that her office has ran out of laminate. She agreed to help. 

“Because we are not into any exercise, any agenda, they (EC) are just feeling reluctant. Since last year September “y’a reporte aa y’abre” (we are tired of reporting) [shortage of laminates]. 

She added "we said they should even announce “se” (that) they’ve put hold on it so that people wouldn’t even come to the office and disturb us. That one too they (EC) are refusing to do it. So I don’t know"(thinking of how to help).

"If am able to get some of the laminate for you, you know our laminate is not also sold on the market. If am able to get some for you, you just drop your number. If I manage to get some for you, I will give you a call. Ok."

"But the problem will be that if they will have to send someone to bring it, then you will have to pay the person’s transportation for the person”, she narrated. 

     

Contact numbers were exchanged and true to her words, she called just the next day. It was on Friday afternoon and we agreed that because it was late, we should schedule it for Monday. “So you drop the transportation for the person. Its Ghc30”, Madam Djanie noted. 

   
On Monday when the money was being handed to her, the camera failed to capture the hand receiving the money, but captured the moment she put the money in her drawer.

The Second Coming 

To prove with empirical evidence that indeed corruption took place, my team went back again, but this time through a different colleague who also posed as someone who has misplaced the voter ID card and wanted one immediately.

Same procedures were followed by going to the Ghana Commercial Bank to pay Ghc5. This time, the EC staff demanded for Ghc40 for transport fare. The money was paid directly to her and was caught on camera. 

To view all the videos, readers are advised to visit Klarity.org (Petty Corruption at the Electoral Commission). Checks from Klarity note that a complaint has been forwarded to the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and they are yet to respond.