The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng has expressed his opposition to calls for publication of declared assets of public officials.
Speaking at a high-level meeting conference on Ghana’s Anti-corruption Architecture on Friday, June 6, 2025, he averred that such publication could subject public officials to reprisals against their asset.
“I do not and I will not add my voice to calls for the publication of asset for public scrutiny. In our experience, it will be unhelpful and would nearly subject public officers to inordinate public curiosity and a specter of the real likelihood of reprisal attacks against their asset,” he said.
Kissi Agyebeng stressed that a workable asset verification and tracing model would rather be sufficient to assure the integrity of the asset declaration system.
“Corruption begins where values collapse, that is why integrity must be designed into our educational system from the basic level through to the tertiary level,” he added.
Instead, the Special Prosecutor advocated for a more robust asset declaration mechanism that would include verification and tracing of undeclared assets.
“We need a more robust and effective asset declaration mechanism in respect of public officers and persons undergoing lifestyle audit to close the loop on the amassing of illicit wealth and to enhance accountability.
“We should move beyond mere repository to a system of verification and tracing undeclared asset,” he opined.
On Tuesday February 18, President Mahama presented his completed Asset Declaration forms to the Auditor-General at a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra.
Following his submission, he set a deadline of March 31st for all appointees to also do the same.
He warned all his appointees that they risked being removed from office if they did not declare their assets by March 31.
In accordance with Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution, eligible Public Office holders are required to submit their completed Assets Declaration Forms to the Auditor General’s office.
