Parliament moves to back lifestyle audits in anti-corruption drive
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
Parliament is set to begin drafting legislation that will provide legal backing for lifestyle audits in Ghana, Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin announced on Monday, June 9. The proposed law is aimed at combating unexplained wealth accumulation and strengthening the country’s anti-corruption regime.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Speaker Bagbin said the move would empower state institutions to scrutinize the lifestyles of public officials, politically exposed persons, and private individuals whose standards of living far exceed their known sources of income.
“I am, to this end, receiving a lot of input to process legislation on lifestyle audits. I’m happy to hear the Office of the Special Prosecutor also included it in their statement. We will legislate and stop this impunity of people flaunting ill-gotten wealth in the face of poor Ghanaians,” the Speaker said.
The Speaker disclosed that the initiative is receiving broad support from senior government figures and civil society. He cited Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as one of the high-level officials backing reforms to fight illicit enrichment.
The development comes amid increasing calls for legal reforms to help Ghana tackle complex and often hidden corruption schemes. Addressing the West Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Policy Dialogue in Accra, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng reiterated his long-standing advocacy for constitutional amendments to permit lifestyle audits and asset confiscation without a criminal conviction.
He proposed that Ghana adopt a “reverse onus” principle in cases of unexplained wealth, where individuals would be required to justify their assets or risk forfeiture.
“In matters of anti-corruption, prevention is always better than cure. Investigations and prosecutions are slow, expensive, and often unproductive due to entrenched secrecy and wealth layering,” Mr. Agyebeng said.
According to the Special Prosecutor, lifestyle audits are one of the most cost-effective ways to detect illicit financial flows, adding that the current legal framework lacks the necessary bite to deter corruption.
He emphasized the need to decouple asset recovery from lengthy criminal proceedings, noting that many public officials exploit legal loopholes to retain ill-gotten wealth.
