K.T. Hammond, the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, responded with insults when a journalist with The Fourth Estate inquired about his asset declaration status.
For a story that would be part of The Fourth Estate's asset declaration series, the reporter had sent a text message to the legislator representing the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to information obtained by The Fourth Estate from the Audit Service, Mr. Hammond last declared his assets and liabilities in September 2016.
After declaring his assets and liabilities in 2016, he is required to do so at least three times in accordance with the Asset Declaration Law. At the beginning of the Seventh Parliament in 2017 and at the end of his term in 2020, he was supposed to declare his assets.
The legislator was again required to declare his assets and liabilities at the beginning of the Eighth Parliament in January 2021.
The reporter wanted to verify that K.T. Hammond and other MPs who had not declared their assets and liabilities were in compliance with the Audit Service's information.
As a result, he communicated with Mr. Hammond via text message:
“I'm Paul Kofi Gozo, and I work as a journalist for The Fourth Estate. I'm working on a story about whether or not MPs have declared their assets. According to information we received from the Audit Service, you haven't declared your assets since January 2021, when you took office as a member of the Eighth Parliament.
Please confirm or clarify whether you have declared your assets in accordance with the law. I will be able to write a story that is balanced thanks to this. Please respond to me as soon as possible. I'm grateful.
The MP reacted angrily, saying:
“Nonsense. Who provided you with that illogical information? And please do not send me another message like that."
A text conversation between The Fourth Estate and K.T. Hammond Mr. Hammond is an MP who has served in Parliament for six terms and has been in office since 2001. He must declare his assets and liabilities twice every four years, as required by law.
However, according to the audit service's available data from 2013 to the present, he has only submitted the declaration once, rather than five times.
Background On March 4, 2022, the Fourth Estate made use of the right to information (RTI) law to write to the Audit Service and request information on public office holders who had declared their assets between January 2013 and 2022.
On May 17, 2022, the Audit Service provided a response with the data. According to the information, several MPs, including the majority of their leaders, had violated the Asset Declaration Act. Also Read: According to Act 550, Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification), public officers (including members of parliament) are required to declare their assets within six months of taking office and, at the latest, six months after Parliament is dissolved. The ten leaders of Parliament who failed to do so. What the law says.
“The public officer shall make the declaration— (a) prior to taking office; ( b) after each four-year interval; and (c) no later than six months after the occurrence of any of the events listed in this subsection, at the conclusion of his term of office.
Before taking office, all members of parliament, including its leaders, were required by law to declare their assets.
Like other people who hold public office and are covered by the law, legislators are required to declare their assets in relation to:
(a) buildings, houses, and land;
b) farming;
c) allowances;
d) property belonging to a family or trust in which the officer has a beneficial interest;
e. vehicles, machinery, fishing vessels, trawlers, and power plants;
f) business objectives;
g) bank accounts and securities;
h) Treasury bills and bonds;
(i) jewelry worth at least 5 million (currently 500); artifacts worth at least five million dollars;
j) policies for life and other insurance;
(k) any additional properties not listed on the declaration form.
