We’ve lost the war against illicit political funds – Franklin Cudjoe

Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has raised alarm over the unchecked influence of illicit political financing in Ghana’s democracy, as public exchanges intensify between Gomoa Central MP Kwame Asare-Obeng (A Plus) and Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine.

In a Facebook post, Cudjoe lamented the nation’s apparent defeat in the fight against shadowy campaign financing, stating: “We have lost the battle against the light needed to be shone on illicit funds in our politics.”

Also he criticised what he described as hypocritical posturing by some political actors who have previously failed to account for their own campaign expenditures.

“Someone I asked to tell us the source of her multimillion-dollar campaign war chest for a failed MP project is so loud berating the AG to investigate himself over an allegation of receiving campaign funds,” he wrote. “Reminds me of pickpockets actively busy with their trade while watching arrested pickpockets being hanged in the public square.”

Cudjoe’s comments follow the feud between A Plus and Dr. Ayine, after the former accused the Attorney General of directing proceeds from the Sanitation Levy to a close associate and accepting questionable campaign donations. Dr. Ayine has firmly denied the allegations, dismissing them as “palpable falsehoods.”

“I was never involved in the passage of the sanitation levy as I was not a member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, let alone being in a position to influence the position of the membership of the committee,” Dr. Ayine clarified during a press conference on April 30.

He added, “If receiving donations for your campaign or getting a pickup is thievery or corruption, then there are 276 thieves in Parliament, including the person who was making the allegation himself.”

The Majority Leader has signaled plans to mediate the standoff, saying he will soon call both parties into a private dialogue.