By Maxwell Awumah/Sylvia Afealetey, GNA
Ho, Oct. 10, GNA - Transparency International, the umbrella body of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has adopted the country’s Steering Committee model/ approaches to supporting victims and witnesses who pursue corruption-related complaints.
The Steering Committee model is a platform made up of a 15-member selected heads of public institutions, including lawyers, the police, civic and human rights authorities to adjudicate cases and offer support to victims and witnesses in a friendly environment.
Mr Michael Okai, Project Coordinator of GII at the launch of the Volta and Oti Regions Directorate of the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) in Ho on Thursday said Transparency International accepted the model and decided to replicate it globally.
The aim of the Centre is to provide legal advice and assistance to victims and witnesses of corruption and offer free, confidential and professional services and set up a database on corruption in the country based on complaints received from the public.
ALAC would empower citizens to make and pursue corruption-related complaints as part of the project entitled, “Speak Up, Resist and Report Corruption” with funding support from DANIDA, under its Tax and Development programme.
Mr Okai said as part of its Interfaith Anti-Corruption project, six offices of ALAC were established in Accra, Tamale, Takoradi, Kumasi, Wa and Ho to forge partnerships with government agencies and civic society organisations towards awareness creation and support to victims.
He noted that the phenomenon of abuse of entrusted power in grand corruption, conflict of interest, petty-corruption and causes of bribery and other types of corruptible tendencies were on the ascendancy
Mr Okai cautioned the public to refrain from abusing the toll free lines designated for the report of corrupt-relation infractions and rise up to embrace the fight against the canker boldly.
He said about 80 per cent progress was chalked from the launch of the complaints system.
Mrs Mary Awelana Addah, Programmes Manager, Ghana Integrity Initiative said ALAC would give opportunity to people to report real corrupt cases and absolve the nation from corruption perceptions.
She said, “It is critical to report corruption. We encourage the public to report corruption. We believe Ghanaians are not corrupt. It is perception that is fuelling it. Let us see real cases now.”
She said the country lost GH¢3 Billion through trade invoicing, misfinancing and through illicit financial flows.
Mrs Addah said the collaboration with major stakeholders would bring positive results, assuring of strict confidentiality.
Mr Francis Asong, Executive Director, Voice Ghana and a member of GII, presiding, observed the debilitating effects of corruption, which he said stifled development across board and urged the public to show boldness and report corruption to uproot the canker from society.
He said the launch of ALAC in the two regions would enable the vulnerable and the poor to report corruption easily in the communities.
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