Ghana’s Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah(Mrs) is now the Vice Chairperson of the Association of Heads of Anti-corruption Institutions in Commonwealth Africa.

She was elevated at the three-day conference 13th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa held at Seychelles.

COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa until her elevation, initially served as the Treasurer of the antigraft body which had representatives from Botswana, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

The Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Seychelles was confirmed as the new chairperson of the Association of the Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa.

In her remarks, she lamented that lack of funding and getting financial forensic specialists was major issue inhibiting the fight against corruption.

“Our problem is similar when it comes to our fight against corruption. There is the same problem with funding, and getting financial forensic specialists We have seen that there are some differences as well when it comes to political will.” She said.

A series of priority areas were identified to be worked on.

“In our communiqué, we guarantee that we will face these challenges and we will reinforce the services that we offer. We will also bring this fight to another level. We will ensure that we share with each other the programmes that we see are innovative and have worked in other African Commonwealth countries and that we will also be able to use these models that they have and support each other,” said de Silva.

Anti-corruption agencies of Commonwealth Africa are seeking to increase youth education and public awareness of the impact, harm and cost of corruption as well as promote integrity and accountability in public office in the Seychelles Communiqué.

The communiqué also seeks to promote leadership, honesty, selflessness, and innovation, and to prove the quality of outgoing mutual legal assistance (MLA).

Member governments are also being asked to enact and implement effective legislation, open and transparent procedures on the declaration of assets of senior public officials supported by honest wealth provisions and civil assessment recovery for future measures.