We appreciate the invitation extended to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice to participate in this event. I will like to apologize for my Hon. Minister who would have wished to be here but due to exigencies of work could not attend the event. Please be assured of our commitment of the highest esteem to building bonds of solidarity between us. 

Let me take this opportunity to commend the Special Prosecutor for this flagship programme to help fight corruption.

Distinguished Guests,

Corruption is described by the United Nations Convention on Corruption (UNCAC) as an insidious plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies. We all gathered here are not oblivious of the cost associated with corruption. Not only does it retard the growth of the nation’s economy but robs the hope people have.

Distinguished Guests,

Several institutions have developed corruption-related criteria on which they rank countries. By far the most famous index of this sort is the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published yearly by Transparency International (TI). This index aims to measure what people think about corruption, and is not presented by TI as true facts about the actual levels of corruption.

The CPI is an “index of indices”; it is composed from a number of different sources that provide a relevant ranking of countries. The World Bank has constructed a similar index, which is part of its efforts to estimate the quality of governance. The main objectives behind the indices are to raise awareness, enable statistical research to understand and better confront the problem, and to encourage governments in their anti-corruption efforts.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I believe the Ghana Corruption League Table, which is also another index to be constructed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor will be used as an important gauge by the public sector agencies in managing corruption risks when conducting businesses. It will prompt the agencies to review their compliance programs, identify any compliance risks that may be previously undetected and make adjustments accordingly.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Drawing lessons from a compendium of case studies from around the world, no government can fight corruption without the involvement of citizens. Corruption should be fought vigorously by all citizens. The fight against corruption should not left into the hands of the government alone. My best wishes for a successful launch.  I look forward to a fruitful partnership between your office and my Office. I now have the singular honour to declare the Ghana Corruption League Table duly launched.

God bless you all

God bless our homeland Ghana