The absence of a law to protect informants is a threat to the objective of the Whistleblowers Act, Ms. Anna Bossman, Acting Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHIRAJ) said on Wednesday.
"The law is very good but the implementation, protection against victimization and confidentiality of informants is a major challenge," she
said at a roundtable discussion on the implementation of the Act in Accra.
Ms. Bossman said although providing protection for the whistleblower's
life was important, the Act did not protect such an informant.
She also identified challenges in terms of co-ordination among the institution charged with the duty to receive and investigate complaint.
According to her, CHIRAJ was dialoguing with the other agencies mandated
to receive and investigate complaints on the best way to deal with the issues
of confidentiality.
She said the Commission had set up an office where complaints that could not be dealt with by CHIRAJ could be directed for attention.
Ms. Bossman said while a number of cases had been disposed of, a few were pending while some informants had refused to provide information to carry on with further investigations.
Mrs. Florence Dennis, Executive Secretary of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), said generally, about 90 per cent of whistleblowers lost
their jobs savings, home and entire family.
Mrs Dennis said participants at a seminar on the Act suggested that the Attorney General should pass a Legislative Instrument establishing a co-coordinating unit, earmark clear cut guidelines on obligation of whistleblowers, regulation of institutions where reports can be made and also clarify when disclosures cease to be confidential.
The Whistleblowers Act 2006 encourages public servants to disclose information in the public interest relating to unlawful, corrupt and other illegal conduct to agencies, including the Attorney-General's Department (AG), the Auditor-General Department, Serious Fraud Office, the Narcotic control Board, CHRAJ and the National Media Commission.
The Act makes provisions to reward individuals who make the disclosures.