DCOP (rtd) Kwesi Ofori, former director-general of the public affairs directorate of the Ghana Police Service has called on the various research institutions to interact with police officers when carrying out surveys on bribery and corruption in the country.
He said this will allow the researchers to have a full view of the issue from the perspectives of the police officers as well.
His comment comes after the Ghana Police Service was cited as the most corrupt public institution in Ghana in a new survey by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The Ghana Police Service is followed by the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the report published on 20 July 20, 2022.
The report said 17.4 million bribes were paid in 2021 with police officers topping the list of officials who take bribes at 53.2%.
The report carrying these findings from a maiden national survey was titled Corruption in Ghana – People’s Experiences and Views.
Reacting to the development on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (21 July), Ofori said he never encountered those carrying out such surveys whiles he was in the Ghana Police Service for the past three decades.
“Coming out with those assertions and so forth, hardly do we find some of these institutions talking to the police, but out of the blue they come out with statements and conclusions.”
He said, “And during my years in the police, we have never seen any of them coming there to talk police officers to know what we are doing, but out of the blue they say they have empirical evidence.”
“But when you have empirical evidence and other things, those you think are involved in those things, you need to have an avenue, a way to talk to them, interview them on whether it is real or imaginary and I believe they need to change their mode and be more interactive with the police if they want it to be better …” Ofori added.
