Transparency is the bedrock of integrity – Dame to Cambridge Economic Crime Summit

Godfred Yeboah Dame, Ghana's Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has touted transparency as the most effective weapon against economic crime.

Recognizing that "transparency is the cornerstone of integrity," Mr. Dame stated that the Ghanaian government was using light laws to expose economic crime in order to combat it.

The Government of Ghana in 2019 passed the Right to Information Act (Act 989)... to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs, subject to a few exemptions necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society."

Attorney-General Dame, delivering the keynote address at the 40th Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime on Monday, cited the Ghana Government's "deliberate policy of digitalization of the Ghanaian environment as crucial to the creation of accountability and integrity in society" He stated that policies such as the National Identification System, Digital Property Address System, Paperless Port Systems, E-Justice Systems, Pensions and Insurance data, and a digital Land Title Registry were designed "to increase transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the public sphere."

Official Parliamentary Records indicate that 783 petitions for access to information had been received by July 2023, of which 669 had been approved by information officers from various public institutions. Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame tells the ongoing Economic Crime Summit that "accountability is indeed the victor" based on the 85.44% public interest rate.

The history

The Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, hosted by Jesus College, draws together stakeholders from all over the world to discuss the effects of such crimes on the stability and safety of society. The summit promotes a deeper comprehension of the evolving nature of economically motivated crimes and cooperation for the prevention and reduction of such crimes. Additionally, it promotes the establishment of values that safeguard the global financial system from the effects of economic criminality and misconduct.

Since its inception forty years ago, this international gathering has brought together Attorneys-General, Senior Legislators, Judicial Officers, Diplomats, leading Academics in Law and Business, and Police Chiefs from over one hundred countries for the sole purpose of analyzing and examining the ever-changing threats to the global financial system. Prof. Barry A. K. Rider OBE, Founder, Executive Director, and Co-Chairman of Jesus College (Cambridge University), remarked, "The Cambridge symposium on economic crime is a one-of-a-kind event that affords governments, institutions, and the academy the opportunity to consider and address, from a practical standpoint, an array of threats to our economic well-being and prosperity."

Sunday, September 3, 2023, through Sunday, September 10, 2023, is the date range for this year's conference, whose theme is "integrity" It will feature over 600 expert speakers from around the globe who will discuss the threats posed by fraudsters, money launderers, organized criminals, and terrorists, with Ghana's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, delivering the keynote address. Mr. Dame, who has made two previous appearances at the Symposium, characterizes it as "far from being a mere talk shop" and as a "global platform that provides practical solutions to economically motivated crime and misconduct worldwide."