Chapters (109)
- Part One
- ONE
- One day earlier
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- PART TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- EIGHTY-FOUR
- EIGHTY-FIVE
- EIGHTY-SIX
- EIGHTY-SEVEN
- EIGHTY-EIGHT
- EIGHTY-NINE
- NINETY
- NINETY-ONE
- NINETY-TWO
- NINETY-THREE
- NINETY-FOUR
- NINETY-FIVE
- NINETY-SIX
- NINETY-SEVEN
- NINETY-EIGHT
- NINETY-NINE
- GLOSSARY
- Acknowledgments
- Continue reading
- Part One
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
“But what use was that shame if it still allowed you to go on doing what you were doing?”
James bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Mr. President. I can assure you right here and now—even take an oath—that I will stop using my position to enable the sakawa systems that infiltrate our society and our neighborhoods. I pray you will pardon me, sir.”
Bannerman was trembling. “No!” he cried. “No. I can’t do that, James. Can’t you even see how immoral that would be? What will the people of this nation say? That certain individuals are above the law? That my relatives and cronies can get away with the same corruption I’ve been preaching against like an evangelist? No, James, that I cannot do. To maintain my integrity and that of my government, I must do the right thing. Commissioner Andoh, please take over.”
James looked at Andoh. “Am I under arrest?”
Andoh put his hand lightly on the IGP’s shoulder. “Yes, sir.”
NINETY-FOUR
NINETY-FOUR
The morning after Sana’s sensational film, the newspaper headlines screamed out who the infamous “Godfather” was. The IGP himself. Some papers branded him “Sakawa-In-Chief;” “Head Con Man;” “Inspector Greedy of Police;” and a host of other names.
When Emma got to work, the workroom was alive with discussion about Sana’s TV event, which had broken all previous viewership records. The number of corrupt officials identified had been staggering, but nothing topped the revelation that the IGP, who, word had it, was being confined at a secret location, had been profiting from online fraud. Mr. Sowah came to the workroom to join the discussion, but he also had an announcement.
“DCOP Laryea called me to say they’ve arrested Mr. Ponsu at the Togo border. He was trying to sneak back into Ghana unnoticed.”
Emma and everyone else clapped.
“So, have we wrapped up the Tilson’s case?” one of the detectives asked.
“In a funny way, yes,” Sowah said, giving Emma an amused, bemused look. She smiled sheepishly. “The point is,” he continued, “they have two solid, independent confessions from the twins which corroborate well with each other. Ponsu doesn’t stand a chance. And so, it turns out Ponsu was so bothered by Gordon Tilson and our very own Emma coming close to the truth, he had to get rid of them. Luckily, Emma came out of it alive.”
Before Emma could object, they gave her a standing “hip-hip, hooray” cheer.
Getting back to work was difficult for everyone in the office. It felt more like a day to sit around and gossip about everything that was going on.
Her phone rang. It wasn’t a number she recognized.
“Hello?”
“Emma, it’s me, Nii Kwei.”
“My God,” she said. “Where are you?”
“In Accra,” he said cryptically. “I just wanted to call you to find out how you are.”