Report corrupt public officials and get paid – CHRAJ to public

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged the public to be vigilant and report citizens who allegedly amass wealth through crooked means to appropriate the authorities for investigations to be launched into the said individuals.

According to the Upper East Regional Director of CHRAJ, Lawyer Abdulai Jaladeen, the country continues to lag behind because of corruption and corruption-related activities, adding that it is crucial for citizens to kill the spirit of fear in them and report persons who embezzle state’s funds to his outfit so the necessary probe will be conducted.

Lawyer Jaladeen gave this encouragement on the sidelines of a forum organized by the Legal Resources Centre(LRC) in collaboration with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Ghana Police Service at Zuarungu.

“Come and report. If you even have a reasonable cause to think that someone is doing something wrong, you come and report. Let the investigation prove otherwise,” he said.

The Whistle Blowers Act enjoins all citizens in the country to report any person or group of persons who indulge in corruption-related activities. The Act also adds that any person whose report leads to the arrest and subsequent recoup of the embezzled money is entitled to ten per cent (10%) of it.

To this end, Lawyer Jaladeen expressed surprise at the reluctance of citizens to flood his outfit with corruption-related cases.

“So sometimes I just sit down and ask myself, why are we not receiving cases? If you have a reasonable case that someone has committed impropriety, you make a disclosure of such information in the public interest. If you report a matter where 10,000.00 is retrieved, you are entitled to 1,000.00. Go and complain and collect money. I wish I could,” he added.

Lawyer Jaladeen further allayed the fears of citizens who have an interest in reporting perpetrators of the act, assuring them that their particulars would be treated as confidential.

However lamented the meagre amount of resources allocated to his office, stating that that threatens to hinder them from fully fulfilling their mandates.