Survey Shows Police Take Bribes More Than Any Other Officials In Ghana

A survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicates that police officers in Ghana take bribes more than any other government official.

The report indicates that an estimated amount of GH₵5 billion in bribes was paid by Ghanaians from all walks of life to public officials in 2021 to speed up services delivered to them as citizens.

In the study, police officers ranked the highest, with a percentage of 53.2.

Also, commercial drivers sometimes accuse police officials of taking money from them for trivial offences they might have committed in the line of duty.

The Ghana Immigration Service ranked second with a percentage of 37.4.

GRA customs officers placed third with 33.6%, followed by Lands Commission (32.4%), the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (29.5%), and Passport Agency Officials (29.0%).

The UNODC report revealed that the least corrupt officials were elected government representatives, and they ranked 2.9%.

In a response concerning corrupt practices at the Passport Office, the  Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey paid a surprise visit to the office in Accra on August 14.

The minister sacked all overstayed officers and called on the director to implement measures to eradicate middlemen, popularly known as ‘goro boys’.

Find the statistics from the highest to the lowest officials who take bribes in Gh.ana below.