Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Linda Ofori Kwafo, has intimated that the appointment of DataBank as the transaction advisor on Ghana bonds, puts the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, in a conflict of interest situation.

According to Mrs Kwafo, who is also a former Board Chairperson of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), once the Minister has accepted his role as a public officer, a private business associated with him cannot be mandated to be an advisor on the issuance of government securities.

She explained that this is likely to create a situation where his personal interest will conflict with the performance of his functions as the Minister.

The anti-corruption crusader explained on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Wednesday, that this is in contrast with the provisions of the Constitution, thus, asked the Finance Minister to advise himself.

"The fact that the Minister of Finance is associated with an organisation, he has to step aside in terms of taking decisions in one of them," she said.

She further explained that "he has accepted the responsibility as the Finance Minister, so he occupies a public office. His former organisation or his organisation would have to continue doing business because they have to exist and that company itself is separate from him as a person, so they have to continue bidding. Now, he has extensive influence on the other side.

"The moment contracts come before him, he might not be participating in where they bid, but he does not have to take any part in taking decisions on whether they win or not. It becomes suspicious if that particular organisation keeps on getting all the awards or contract of being a transactional advisor to the Ministry.

Meanwhile, "the Constitution says that a person shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or slightly conflicts with the performance of the functions of his office "

She, thus, asked the Minister to step aside if he wants to stay clear of any likelihood of a conflict of interest situation.

The anti-corruption crusader was contributing to discussions on the issue of conflict of interest and asset declaration by public officers, which has been triggered by a leaked document purported to be the will of the deceased Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (popularly known as Sir John).

In the will, the late Forestry Commission boss bequeathed portions of the Achimota Forest and Ramsar site to his relatives.

The Public Officers Declaration and Disqualification Act (Act 550) says all Public Officers should declare assets they own directly or indirectly before assuming office, however, further checks revealed that he did not comply with the law before assuming office.

It has also emerged that other public officers currently holding offices, are yet to declare their assets.

Following this, there have been various calls on the President and Parliament to step in and compel public officers to do the needful.

Adding her voice to the discourse, Mrs. Kwafo propounded that President Akufo-Addo should either set strict deadlines for public officers who are yet to declare their assets or relieve them of their duties to curtail the menace.

“If we are still going back to his initial comments that the public office is not a place for making money and that if anyone wants to make money then they should go to the Private sector, the President should send a very strong signal to the citizenry; either he sacks them or give them timelines within which they should declare their assets."