Sometimes one wonders where our public officials who claim to know everything, particularly the designated field in which they hold open positions, get the job. It is not surprising to hear a public statement by the Deputy Attorney General pronouncement on the recent judgement by Justice Anin Yeboah.
The Deputy Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine is warning of a bad precedent being set by the Supreme Court when it granted Martin Amidu’s request to orally examine businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome. He is also predicting a cul-de-sac in the Martin Amidu’s showdown with Woyome.
What dangerous precedent is the Deputy AG denoting? We cannot undermine the importance of the judgement because a private prosecution has conventionally been seen as a valuable safeguard against unwillingness or misbehaviour by official prosecuting authorities.
Generally speaking, the office of the Attorney General, of which Mr Ayine holds a high position should be prosecuting and defending on our behalf (Ghanaians). Instead, he is attempting to undermine the decision by the Supreme Court Judge. The Attorney General’s department has made a clear decision to protect, the offender, Mr Alfred Woyome and his unlawful assurances.
The Attorney General’s department is facing the new embarrassment after citizen vigilante; Martin Amidu won the right to orally examine what is thought to be an unprecedented private examination of a swindler for perverting the course of justice.
Martin Amidu has triumphed in the battle to personally and orally examine charges against a fraudster, Alfred Woyome, who is alleged to have made false claims for illegally receiving fifty-two million cedis (52m) in a sworn statement.
It is believed to be the first time in Ghanaian legal history that an individual, rather than the Attorney General’s department, has managed to launch a private orally examination against an incumbent government private party financier.
The judgement raises fresh questions about the Attorney General’s conduct – years after the apex court issued the “honesty and integrity” of Alfred Woyome implicated in the “Woyomegatuan” collusion.
Someone has perpetrated an offence against taxpayers, Dr Ayine and his department, as the public prosecutor is not willing to prosecute the offender. Or worse, Ghanaians are the victim of the departmental professional misconduct and as the public prosecutor does not want to pursue the case because the department feels there is or maybe incumbent government officials implicated or lack of interest to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. However, instead of welcoming the assistance from Martin Amidu to support the case, Dr Ayine is trying to undermine the Supreme Court Justice judgement.
Dr Ayine behaving on the general delusion that only the Attorney General bodies can bring about prosecutions.
It is such attitude of public officials like Dr Ayine why we should wholeheartedly embrace the action of Mr Martin Amidu to ensure justice prevails. The judgement must be a lesson to Dr Ayine that the Attorney General’s department should not be complacent about prosecuting cases before them.
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