A 2022 report on corruption and bribery in Ghana highlighted some highly bribe-prone institutions in the country.

Some of the institutions mentioned were police officers (53.2 percent), followed by Ghana Immigration Service Officers (37.4 percent) and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Officers (33.6 percent).

Read the full story originally published on July 21, 2022, by GhanaWeb

Police officers top list of bribe takers in Ghana

17.4 million bribes were paid to public officials in 2021

25.9% of respondents have had contact with public officials in 2021

A report on corruption and bribery in Ghana has disclosed that more than 17.4 million bribes were paid to public officials in 2021.

The maiden national survey, titled: “Corruption in Ghana – people’s experiences and views” was put together by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, in partnership with the Ghana Statistical Service and with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report stated that 25.9% percent of all survey respondents who had at least one contact with a public official in the 12 months prior to the 2021 survey paid at least one bribe or were asked to pay a bribe, in the same period.

However, the prevalence of bribery according to the report is highest in relation to police officers (53.2 percent), followed by Ghana Immigration Service Officers (37.4 percent) and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Officers (33.6 percent).

At the other end of the scale, the prevalence of bribery is one of the lowest in relation to health workers other than doctors, nurses, and midwives, at 3.3 percent, and elected government representatives, at 2.9 percent.

Here are the top ten public officials who take the most bribes according to CHRAJ and the Ghana Statistical Service.

1. Police officers (53.2%)

2. Ghana Immigration Service officers (37.4%)

3. GRA customs officers* (33.6%)

4. Lands Commission (32.4%)

5. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (29.5%)

6. Passport agency officials (29.0%)

7. Prosecutors, judges or magistrates (22.3%)

8. National Intelligence Bureau (21.2%)

9. National Road Safety Authority (17.8%)

10. Prison officials (17.0%)

It is important to note that the overall prevalence of bribery is not the average of the prevalence of bribery (rate) by type of public official, since it is calculated as all those who had at least once contact with any type of public official and were asked for a bribe, including those who refused to pay it.