The Co-Chair of the Citizens Movement against Corruption has charged the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng to investigate and deal with illicit campaign financing.
According to Edem Senanu, the acts by these alleged illicit campaign financiers are dangerous and must be checked.
This, he said is because of the implications of their deeds on the country’s democracy.
“What CDD has done is to raise the red flag and indicate that there are issues with people who are engaging in illicit activities that under normal circumstances security agencies should be investigating and bringing to book,” he said.
His comment follows a study by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) which revealed that nine individuals allegedly engaging in illicit activities funded some political parties during the 2020 elections.
These activities include illegal mining popularly known as galamsey, illegal oil distribution, and fraudulent businesses.
The financiers are said to have funded the campaign with the aim of making friends and ensuring the sustenance of their businesses should the recipients of their funds win the polls.
This stark reality has raised serious concerns about the integrity of campaigns organized by political parties ahead of elections.
Commenting on the development, Dr. Kwame Asah Asante, who is a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana said the law must be broaden to curb such acts.
“We need the laws to be in place which we already have. For instance, if you look at advanced democracy such as America there is a certain threshold that people cannot go beyond if you are funding a political party as an individual.
“If you are a group, there is a certain threshold you cannot go pass. If you cross that line, you are going to jail,” he said.
He went on to say that funders of political parties in the United States have their names published, as well as a background check of where they work, which is monitored.
He concluded by urging the country to emulate this procedure “if we want to deal with corruption head-on.”
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