Human rights activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has criticised the narrow focus on the former Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and former Deputy Executive Director, Gifty Oware-Mensah, urging authorities to look beyond individual culpability to systemic failures.
The Attorney-General’s office accuses Antwi and Oware-Mensah of masterminding two separate schemes involving “ghost” service personnel to siphon public funds.
However, Barker-Vormawor described the charges as “unbelievable” if the narrative ends with only two individuals being responsible for such a large-scale theft.
He stated, “Even if we take the figures the two people have been charged with, it is unbelievable that we say that two individuals were able to steal over 60 million dollars from the republic and it’s just them. And that there is nothing system-wide that we need to be having a conversation with.”
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 18, the activist further criticised state investigative agencies for their apparent inability to fully unravel the scandal.
“I don’t remember a time where the state-owned investigative agencies have been able to unravel a scheme of this regard,” he said.
Highlighting the crucial role played by investigative journalists in exposing the scandal, Barker-Vormawor added, “It is insufficient for me to say that a couple of journalists themselves, just by asking questions and writing to people to give document which the state itself can get without going through have uncovered what the state has failed to.”
He also condemned the deliberate obstruction of the Right to Information (RTI) process by state institutions, which he says frustrates efforts to obtain vital information.
“There is a complete disinterest in state institutions giving information. The RTI process is deliberately frustrated when information is being sought across the board,” Barker-Vormawor emphasised.
According to the activist, these systemic issues hamper consistent investigations and enable corruption to thrive. “That the state is unable to unravel anything consistently is a major concern,” he warned.
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