Fidelity Bank’s Atta Yeboah Gyan urges Ghanaian corporate leaders to prioritise ethical culture at ACFE National Fraud Conference

Mr Atta Yeboah Gyan, Deputy Managing Director for Operations and Support Functions at Fidelity Bank, has called on business leaders across Ghana to put ethics and integrity at the centre of organisational leadership.

Speaking at the 3rd Ghana Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) National Fraud Conference, he described ethical conduct as both a moral obligation and a critical economic survival strategy.

Addressing participants under the theme, “The role of corporate executives in promoting ethical leadership and accountability in Ghana,” Mr. Gyan stressed that trust must now serve as “the new currency of leadership,” warning that public confidence in institutions is becoming increasingly fragile.

He argued that the fight against fraud must shift from ticking compliance boxes to building a culture where integrity is lived daily.

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While acknowledging progress in digitisation and regulatory frameworks, he cautioned that such systems cannot replace the “human element” of committed leadership.

He asserted that corporate executives remain custodians of ethical culture, and the tone they set determines whether integrity is genuinely upheld or reduced to slogans.

Mr Gyan noted that compromising ethics for short-term gain sends a damaging message that values are negotiable, a scenario under which fraud thrives. He urged executives to lead by example, making decisions rooted in principle rather than convenience.

He further highlighted that fraud and corruption drain national resources, distort competition, and weaken the institutional backbone required to attract investment. Once organisations lose credibility, he said, restoring trust can take years or even decades.

According to him, ethical practices have become a strategic advantage, strengthening brand loyalty and helping institutions navigate complex regulatory environments.

He encouraged businesses to develop governance systems that make wrongdoing difficult and transparency instinctive, emphasising the protection of whistleblowers and the active rewarding of integrity.

Mr Gyan concluded that technology and regulation alone cannot defeat unethical conduct.

True progress, he said, depends on leaders who choose integrity “every single day,” leaving behind a legacy defined not by excuses but by ethics, and building a Ghana where doing the right thing becomes the norm.