The Use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Combat Financial Crime in Ghana: A Case Study of the Ghana Police Service Commercial Crime Unit

Abstract

The rapid evolution of information technology, the proliferation of computer and media devices and the rapid growth in the use of ICT and the Internet for organisational management has brought new forms of crimes and made financial crime to be easier to commit. This study focused on the use of information communication technology (ICT) to combat financial crime in Ghana. It is a case study of the Ghana Police Service Commercial Crime Unit. The study used the Adaptive Information Security Systems model to serve as the basis for the literature review. To achieve the aim of the study, the survey methodology was used to survey thirty eight (38) respondents from the Ghana Police Service Commercial Crime Unit. The study revealed that the use of ICT among the personnel was very low. The study also found out that the Service does not have the necessary ICT facilities to combat financial crime. Besides, the knowledge of the personnel of the unit in the use of ICT is inadequate. Therefore, the high hopes of ICT utilization and its resultant outcome is not realised. Based on the findings, the study recommend that the Ghana Police Service in general and the Commercial Crime Unit in particular need to be resourced with modern ICT facilities and training of the personnel to be able to fight ICT-based financial crime.