GHANA Country Profile

Police

Individual Corruption

According to several surveys and reports (e.g. the Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2009, Global Integrity 2008 and the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2006), Ghanaians consider the Ghana Police Service to be one of the most corrupt and dishonest agencies in Ghana. The traffic police are known to extract unofficial fees directly from drivers. According to the US Department of State 2009, police officials in Ghana are repeatedly criticised for corruption or negligence of their duties and, in addition, for acting wrongfully with impunity. The same source further notes that low salaries, which are sometimes not paid on time, contribute to the tendency to solicit bribes.

Business Corruption

Companies report that both regular and traffic police are the most frequent recipients of unofficial payments. According to Transparency International Bribe Payers Index 2008, business executives perceived the police to be the most corrupt among a number of institutions. Furthermore, according to Global Integrity 2008, the police are often condemned in the media for demanding bribes when handling court cases and for demanding bribes from motorists during vehicle registration. Companies should thus be aware of the potential for encountering demands for bribes from the police when dealing with court matters and vehicle registration. According to a January 2010 article in Ghana Today, traffic police is known for taking bribes from commercial vehicles, especially in urban areas. An example of this was to be found when four police officers from the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit in January 2010 were caught on the Achimota Overpass towards Abeka Lapaz extorting money from commercial drivers.

Political Corruption

The Inspector General of the Police is appointed by the President and can be removed without explanations. According to Global Integrity 2009, promotions and appointments are also perceived to be influenced by political considerations.

The police are widely perceived as one of the most corrupt institutions in the country, but no law provides for an independent mechanism for citizens to complain about the police. Administrative mechanisms do exist, such as the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards unit that is established to address complaints and citizens can also complain to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice. However, according to Global Integrity 2009, there is a general perception that the police often protect its members when complaints are given, and several times police officers have defended police action even before investigations have started.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010:
- Business executives give the reliability of Ghana's police services to enforce law and order a score of 3.8 on a 7-point scale (1 being 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 being 'can always be relied upon').

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2009:
- 63% of households who had contact with the police in 2008 report to have paid a bribe.

Transparency International: Bribe Payers Index 2008:
- The interviewed business executives assigned the police a score of 4.6 on a 5-point scale (1 being 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt'), thus indicating the police as the most corruption-prone institution in Ghana.

Afrobarometer: Summary of Results Ghana 2008:
- 86% of Ghanaian households surveyed perceive the police to be involved in corruption.