UN Report reveals BIGGEST bribe receivers in Ghana

In Ghana, workers at the Lands Commission receive the highest amount of bribes from Ghanaians seeking the services of the commission.

The amount average amount they receive is GHC 1,669.  Prosecutors, judges or magistrates are the next in line for fat bribes.

They receive an average of GHC1208. Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service receive GHC 950. The least amount of GHC 91 is received by other health workers apart from doctors, nurses and midwives.

This is according to “the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2021 survey on People’s Experience in Paying Bribes in Ghana.

“As mentioned in the chapter “How Bribery Works”, the average cash bribe paid to public officials in Ghana masks huge variations in the size of cash bribes, which depends on a number of factors, such as the economic reasons for which bribes are paid, the service sought at the time  of payment and the area where bribes are paid.

Similarly, there are large variations in the size of bribes, according to the type of public official who receive them. Among all types of public officials for which there was sufficient data, with an average of Ghanaian cedi 1,669, the largest cash bribes were paid to Lands Commission Officers, and Prosecutors, judges or magistrates (Ghanaian cedi 1,208).

By contrast, much smaller average amounts were paid to health workers (Ghanaian cedi 91–253) and police officers (Ghanaian cedi 220),” the report said.

Corruption continues to be a canker in Ghana, which constantly gets the attention of politicians and ordinary citizens. Notwithstanding not much has been achieved in fighting it. The report has shed light on corruption and where it happens the most.

Below are the public institutions and the average amount of bribes workers take.