By: Juliet Akosua Danquah
A former New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Dr. Arthur Kennedy, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to escalate and separate Ghana’s corruption fight from political bias, cautioning that uneven application of the law may erode trust in the system.
During a Saturday, January 17 appearance on Channel One TV’s Big Issue, which was monitored by the Ghanaian RADAR, he contended that while recent actions show revived dedication, legal proceedings are delayed and excessively concentrate on past incidents instead of stopping future ones.
“I expect the process to be swift. The anti-corruption fight is too slow,” he said, insisting the nation must prioritize stopping graft beforehand and guarantee that answerability is justly enforced across all political sides.
Dr. Kennedy warned that apparent bias, especially the scarce legal action against figures connected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), could damage the integrity of the anti-graft initiative. He pressed the President to raise the priority and accelerate the endeavor while preserving its total political neutrality. His observations follow news that former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) CEO, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, will face a U.S. judge on January 21 for an extradition hearing.
Ghana’s U.S. Ambassador, Victor Smith, shared the update recently, stating American authorities have currently blocked Ghanaian officials from accessing Madam Tamakloe-Attionu, for reasons not yet explained. She received a ten-year custodial sentence in absentia from an Accra High Court in April 2024, found guilty on 78 charges such as willfully causing state financial loss, theft, conspiring to steal, money laundering, and violating public procurement laws.
The crimes, occurring from 2013 to 2016, pertained to misuse of MASLOC money. Her accomplice, ex-MASLOC Operations Chief Daniel Axim, was also found guilty and given a five-year prison term.
The court process, initiated in 2019, exposed the channeling of public resources, including cash allocated for awareness campaigns and Kantamanto fire relief, plus excessively high prices paid for buying cars and phones.
Dr. Kennedy stated that prosecutions like the MASLOC one highlight the necessity for a robust, prompt, and unbiased anti-corruption system, calling on President Mahama to uphold uniform pursuit of justice, irrespective of party ties.
