Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has alleged that some former government appointees accused of corruption may have financially backed political actors in the current administration to evade prosecution.
Speaking in an interview on TV3, excerpts of which have since gone viral on social media, Kpebu described Ghana’s political environment as complex and heavily influenced by behind-the-scenes negotiations that determine which corruption cases move forward.
According to him, such political arrangements are not peculiar to one administration but are a recurring feature across successive governments. He argued that the failure to pursue certain high-profile corruption cases after a change in government raises serious concerns about compromises struck ahead of elections.
Kpebu noted that individuals who were widely tipped for arrest following a political transition have, in some cases, continued to operate freely, suggesting that pre-election understandings may have shaped post-election accountability.
“We are not that naïve,” he said, adding that political actors often engage in what he described as “trading horses” before elections, where financially powerful individuals support opposing camps to secure protection when power changes hands.
He further claimed that while concrete evidence may be difficult to obtain, the continued freedom of some politically exposed individuals—despite longstanding public allegations—points to election financing as a possible explanation.
“When someone walks freely with no case against them at all, despite everything, you begin to understand how elections are won,” Kpebu remarked, insisting that political funding remains a key factor influencing who faces prosecution and who does not.
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