Ghana’s Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has visited the headquarters of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., to learn from their best practices and enhance collaboration in the fight against corruption in Ghana.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on Monday, October 23, 2023, Agyebeng met with senior officials of the FBI and the DOJ, including Jason Beachy, the acting assistant director of the International Operations Division at the FBI, Arun G Rao, the Assistant Attorney General, and Richard Goldberg, the Deputy Director of the Consumer Protection Branch at the DOJ.
The statement said that the purpose of the visit was to gain insights into the organizational structure, operations, and best practices of the FBI and the DOJ and to explore ways to strengthen cooperation and capacity building between the OSP and the US agencies.
The OSP was established in 2018 by an Act of Parliament to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses involving public officers and politically exposed persons. Agyebeng was appointed as the second Special Prosecutor in July 2023, following the resignation of his predecessor, Martin Amidu, who cited political interference and lack of resources as reasons for his departure.
Agyebeng has vowed to make corruption a high-risk activity in Ghana by using a combination of prevention, education, and prosecution strategies. He has also expressed his commitment to work with other anti-corruption agencies and civil society organizations to achieve his mandate.
The visit to the FBI and the DOJ is part of Agyebeng’s efforts to build partnerships with international counterparts and learn from their experiences combating corruption. The US has supported Ghana’s anti-corruption agenda, providing technical assistance, training, and funding to various institutions and initiatives.
The OSP said it was grateful for the warm reception and fruitful discussions with the FBI and the DOJ officials and looked forward to enhancing mutual cooperation.
The statement also shared some pictures of Agyebeng and his team with the US officials during their visit.
The OSP’s visit comes when Ghana faces several challenges in its fight against corruption, such as low public trust, weak enforcement, political interference, and lack of resources. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2022, Ghana ranked 75th out of 180 countries with a score of 41 out of 100, indicating a serious public sector corruption problem.
However, there are also signs of hope and progress, such as the passage of the Right to Information Act 2019, which gives citizens access to public information; the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2020-2024, which provides a framework for coordinated action against corruption; and the implementation of various reforms and initiatives by various stakeholders to improve transparency, accountability, and integrity in governance.
Source: GhanaWeb
