At least nine top functionaries of the Kufuor administration will face trial in the next few months. Sources close to the investigative authorities claim that the functionaries are currently assisting state agencies which are looking into allegations of corruption and outright thievery.
Some of the agencies investigating the allegations are the criminal Investigations of the Ghana Police Service, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI). The matters being investigated include the inflation of project costs, state funds, which have not been accounted for, misappropriation of state funds, forgery and bribery.
The organizations which are being investigated include the National Olympic Committee, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, information and local government and the PSC Tema Shipyard in which Ghana has substantial shares. The security services are also busily investigating the murder of the Ya Na and his elders as well as the murder of Alhaji Issa Mobila, former Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People�s Party (CPP).
The sources told The Insight newspaper that in the case of the murder of the Ya Na and Issa Mobila, the Kufuor administration may not be directly implicated even though some officials in the administration may have serious questions to answer.
For example the order of the Northern Regional Security Council for the arrest and detention of Mobila at a military guardroom, when no state of emergency had been declared is being examined. In his last state of the nation address to Parliament, President John Evans Atta Mills promised that all corrupt officials will be made to face justice soon. He indicated that his government will not bow to political pressure to abandon the principles of probity and accountability.
Earlier in January, Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice said that her outfit will pursue corrupt public officials without any hesitation this year. From all indications it appears that there are interesting times ahead.
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