Dealing with unexplained wealth: I will ask ‘tough’ questions- Kissi Adjebeng

The nominee for Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Adjebeng has expressed his commitment to asking ‘tough’ questions despite the difficulty, to unravel the unexplained wealth of persons in the Country.

He agrees to the use of the reverse onus law to demand proof from individuals relative to their unexplained wealth and property.

“You have my firm commitment. But, you know, corruption is secretive and very, very complex. Most of the time, it transcends national boundaries. So unless the participants of the corrupt activity are opening up to you, it is very difficult on your own to establish that these funds came about unlawfully.

“And so, as I keep saying, if I were to place the burden on you, matched against your lawful income and you cannot reasonably explain the shortfall as to how your lawful income falls short of your wealth, then I will be asking you questions, then I will be calling you in,” he stated.

He made these statements on Thursday, July 22, 2021, when he appeared before the Appointment Committee of Parliament to be vetted for his new role.

 Mr. Agyebeng will replace Martin Amidu, who resigned from the position on November 15, 2020, if approved by Parliament.

In a letter to the Presidency, the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, said he was satisfied that “Kissi Agyebeng possesses the requisite expertise on corruption and corruption-related matters, is of high moral character and proven integrity and satisfies all the other requirements stipulated in section 13(1) and (2) of Act 959.”

Section 13(8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) requires the President to appoint a person qualified for appointment as Special Prosecutor to that position, within six months of the Office of Special Prosecutor becoming vacant.

Kissi Agyebeng was called to the Ghana Bar in October 2003 and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Ghana, as well as, Master of Laws (LLM) degrees from Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Canada, and Cornell Law School, USA.

He has, since 2006, been teaching Criminal Law at the University of Ghana, whilst engaging in private law practice.

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor nominee has ascribed to the Anas’ principle of unravelling corruption and further hinted at the introduction of the country’s own corruption perception index to measure or compare institutions relative to the perpetuation of corruption.