Corruption: There is strict enforcement of code of ethics among judges – Kulendi

A justice of the Supreme Court, Yonny Kulendi, has said that the Judicial Service is strictly enforcing the code of ethics among judges and magistrates as well as all staff of the Judicial service.

This he said forms part of measures to tackle corruption within the service.

He stated that the Judiciary has key roles to minimize corruption in the country hence the need to enforce the ethics among its members.

Speaking at an International conference on anti-corruption in Accra on Friday December 10, Justice Kulendi said “We are also mindful of our role as underscored in Article 11(1) of the UN Conventions against corruption which states as follows ‘bearing in mind the independence of the judiciary and its crucial role in combating corruption, each stated party, in accordance with the fundamental principles of this legal system and without prejudice to independence, take measures to strengthen integrity and to prevent opportunities for corruption among members of the Judiciary. Such measures may include rules with respect to the conduct of members of the judiciary.’

“Among other measures, we are actively enforcing the code of conduct for judges and magistrates as well as the code of ethics for judicial service staff. But there is no doubt that we need to do more. Therefore, with the new vision of building culture of integrity for generations. I believe the judiciary must play a more catalytic role in building integrity in our society.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his part, said among other things that, corruption is a serious challenge that is affecting the progress of the nation.

He indicated that all efforts must be marshalled to reduce the practice to its lowest ebb in order to realise the needed growth and progress of the nation.

Speaking at the same event, he said it is not only corruption involving high profile persons and politicians that retard growth. Rather, he added, all the petty corrupt practices in all aspect of life negatively affect the nation.

He said “Corruption has been a perennial problem for several decades . Everyone in this room is well aware of the danger it poses to our nation. In trying to address the menace, governments over the years have introduced a host of policies and measures including some unconventional and draconian ones.

“We have promulgated anticorruption decrees with provisions for lengthy jails. We have confiscated personal assets of public officials believed to have been corruptly acquired. We have declared zero tolerance against corruption, we had appealed to the good sense of the Ghanaian through moral crusade for integrity and giving sermons on the sins of corruption.

“We have passed anti-corruption laws, we have strengthened the anticorruption institutions and undertaken public sector financial management and institutional reforms. We have also ratified regional, international anticorruption convention as expressions of our commitment to the global fight against corruption. We have even tie people to the stake merely of suspicion of them being corrupt and shot them dead.

“We have done all these , we have the laws, we have the institutions and yet the problem persists . But it is worth bearing in mind that it is not only the headline corruption , the type that involved politicians and high profile figures that retards our progress and hinders our development.

“The driver who knowingly puts a faulty vehicle on the road with the intention of paying bribes to the traffic Police man, the Policeman who takes a bribe to allow unlicensed drivers on the road, the planning official who at the receipt of a bribe allows a house to be constructed on the waterway, the GRA official that accepts bribe and allows goods in without the payment of duties , the officials that allow receipt of bribes drugs to be imported into and exported out of our country and all the everyday petty bribe taking. All such actions constitute corruption and retard our progress even if they do not attract headlines.”