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Justice Emile Short, former Commissioner of the Human Rights and Administrative Justice, says the recent vote buying exercise being carried out by politicians is corruption.

“Bribing of a voter is also corruption. Vote buying is corruption and yet few months to elections we read about distribution of goodies like outboard motors, bags of rice, flour etc. These distribution of goodies are done close to the election period and they constitute corruption. But either the politicians are not aware of it or either there are no sanctions and it continues,” the former CHRAJ boss stated.

Mr Short made these remarks during the second series of a symposium organized by Forum for Media Accountability and Democratic Governance under the theme “Redefining Our ethos as a society” in Accra on Wednesday.

Speaking on the topic, “Gifts and bribes, the use of public office for personal gains,” he stated that corruption is on the increase in society because “either the line of distinction between gifts and bribes are so blurred or it’s because bribes are sometimes dressed as gifts.”

According to Mr Short, the recent survey by the Centre for Democratic Development and the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Anas investigations, as well as public statements by persons like the majority leader, Alban Bagbin and P.C Appiah Ofori, former MP for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa constituency, have all in one way or the other shown that corruption exists in the three arms of government.

The former CHRAJ boss added that people who stand for public office must be questioned on the motive behind their decision to vie for that particular office.

“Too many people aspire into public office not to serve the people but to promote their own personal interest and those of their next of kin. It is not too long ago when we heard a deputy minister in a secret recorded conversation that her intention is to quickly make about a million dollars before she quits politics,” he stated.

He lamented that Parliament drags it feet when it comes to enacting anti-corruption legislations, mentioning the Freedom of Information Bill as a clear example.

Apart from calling for a massive public education on corruption, Mr Emile Short called for a strong leadership as demonstrated in countries like Singapore, Nigeria and Rwanda.

For his part, Albert Kan-Dapaah, a former Member of Parliament and Minister of State under the erstwhile ex-President Kufuor’s government, indicated that in order for institutions to be effective, they need to be granted independence for Ghana to achieve a corruption free country.

“Today Donald Trump has been elected the President of USA; whatever he does, he will not be accused of stealing public funds, not because of his ethical values, or the American national values but is it because the system in place will not allow him to steal”, he stated.

Mr Kan-Dapaah addded that Abacha of Nigeria who history has named as a successful looter of public funds would not have had the chance to steal if he was the President of America or United Kingdom.

The former MP wondered how the Auditor-General who is supposed to audit government books and know whether public monies are used in accordance with the financial laws can do his job well when the President appoints him, determines the funds to execute his job and can dismiss him.

He noted that Parliament cannot also hold the President accountable properly because majority of members belong to the president’s party and may be eyeing positions in the Executive as ministers or seek infrastructure development in their constituencies.

He observed that only a good leadership with strong sanctions would be the antidotes to corruption in the country but queried how that can be when people who are indicted as corrupt rather given bigger positions.