Franklin Cudjoe, Executive Director, IMANI Center for Policy and Education has expressed the view that it will be a waste of time taking former Energy Minister Dr Oteng Adjei to court for  keeping state-owned luxury cars.

According to him, it will rather be prudent to force him to return all state assets before taking him to court and then shame him.

The former Energy Minister, who has been severely criticised for appropriating one of the luxury vehicles meant for inspection of a rural electrification project, revealed on Joy News that he returned the vehicle Tuesday, February 24, 2015 after the media vilification.

He said he didn't steal the car and that the Lexus LX 570 which he was using until he returned it to the Energy Ministry Tuesday morning was an appropriate reward for his hard work.

He later dared the NPP to take him to court if the party thought he had illegally misappropriated state vehicles.

In a reaction on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Wednesday  Franklin Cudjoe said this is a clear indication that “the purveyors of social democracy, the people who chant socialist and ‘welfare-rist’ mantra unfortunately have no longer become martyrs of the poor.”

He lamented that, “what we are witnessing is a breakdown in ethical leadership,” because assuming without admitting that the cars ought to have been bought, “did he have to take the cars away when he was no longer a minister?”

The IMANI boss described Dr Oteng Adjei’s case as “plain thievery, it is no longer corruption,” and that it will be a waste of time to take him to court.

Instead, Franklin Cudjoe, suggested that, “we have to force him to shame him to return the car and then haul him later before a court and later press on him to be shamed further.”

He said the constant reports of corruption and misappropriation of state funds and resources by officials is “unethical and if we don’t take care, we are descending into an abyss. Morality seems to have just gone to the dogs.”

The IMANI boss observed that it is sad and disappointing that a party that “killed people for just possessing their lawful money would, decades later have a minister…actually stealing a car.”

“It behoves on all of us to ensure that our public purse is protected from these vampires,” he stressed.

Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) commenting on the matter agreed with Franklin Cudjoe and said this is just a tip of the iceberg of the bigger problem we have in this country.”

She noted that constant reports on such corruption acts  “clearly demonstrates an increased disregard for laws, policies, agreements and we are getting into a state of impunity and I think it is time civil society and the public work together to stop it.”   

Mrs Ofori-Kwafo encouraged the general public to start having keen interest in deals signed by government and the execution of such agreements because “people are being denied of the basic necessities of life because public officials are basically not following laid down procedures and policies.”