Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has dismissed calls for the public disclosure of asset declarations by public officers, citing potential risks and negative consequences.
Speaking at a high-level conference on Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture in Accra, Agyebeng argued that making declared assets publicly available would be counterproductive.
“I do not and I will not add my voice to calls for the publication of assets for public scrutiny. In our experience, it will be unhelpful and would merely subject public officers to inordinate public curiosity and a specter of the real likelihood of reprisals against the assets,” he said.
Instead, he advocated for a transparent and functional framework to verify asset declarations and ensure compliance.
“In my estimation, publication of who has declared or has not declared his assets in the context of a workable asset verification and treason model would be sufficient to assure the integrity of the asset declaration system,” he added.
Agyebeng’s comments come amid growing public demand for increased transparency and accountability among public officials, particularly regarding wealth accumulation while in office.
Civil society groups and anti-corruption campaigners have long advocated for full publication of asset declarations to deter corruption and promote integrity.
The Special Prosecutor emphasized the need for balance between transparency and individual rights protection for an effective anti-corruption regime.