Lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School, Clara Beeri Kasser-Tee, is unimpressed about how the law on Asset and Liabilities Declaration is being operationalised.
According to her, the legislation which was supposed to give power to the people has been misinterpreted because "relevant state institutions in interpreting and operationalising the law, took that power from the citizen."
She was speaking at the 6th Kwadwo Baah Wiredu Memorial Lecture held in Accra on September 30.
Addressing the gathering, Mrs Kasser-Tee explained that "the Constitution requires that the initial declaration be compared with subsequent declarations, so that if any property or asset cannot be explained, it will be deemed to have been acquired in contravention of the constitution, thereby allowing us to trigger appropriate laws to recover the excess assets."
However, according to the legal practitioner, subsequent enactments by Parliament have dwindled the weight within the piece of legislation.
"Parliament enacted a law that derogated from this Constitutional provision by extending the timeframe for submitting the declaration of assets and liabilities to six months after taking office, when the Constitution said, "before taking office," she said.
She indicated that through this move, public officers have been successfully provided with the opportunity to "include in the declaration assets and liabilities that such officer may have acquired within the six months after taking office, thereby defeating the purpose of the Constitutional provision, which seeks to list only those assets and liabilities of a person before they took office."
The Lecture organised by the Chief Policy Analyst at the Ghana Institute of Public Policy Options, Dr Charles Wereko Brobbey, is to celebrate Former Finance Minister, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, who died in 2008.
Latest Stories
-
SML condemns OSP raid, warns of national revenue risks
6 minutes -
Watch NDC’s Rashid Tanko-Computer defend his PhD amid public scrutiny
6 minutes -
Undefeated and unmatched: Union Ghana’s dominance in UG Corporate Football League
25 minutes -
Supreme Court overturns contempt conviction of Akwatia MP Ernest Kumi
30 minutes -
Kumasi Central Prisons presents five inmates to participate in 2025 BECE
37 minutes -
Ntim Fordjour wishes all BECE candidates well
43 minutes -
Bibiani GoldStars eye signings to strengthen squad for next season’s Champions League
45 minutes -
Economy grew by 5.3% in quarter one 2025
46 minutes -
Ghana Chamber of Mines refutes political interference in leadership appointments
50 minutes -
Ga Mantse returns to his roots, applauds church that supported his youth
1 hour -
McDan provides scholarship to 10 zongo students at tertiary institutions
1 hour -
Man City sign £46.5m Tijjani Reijnders
1 hour -
MTN FA Cup: Kotoko are tough opponent but we will win – Golden Kick CEO
1 hour -
Investor rally on GSE continues; 13 stocks record gains in May 2025
1 hour -
No need for renegotiation of GRNMA agreement, but cool heads must prevail- Kwame Sarpong
2 hours