By Joyce Danso
Accra, Feb. 14, GNA – Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Friday described as unfortunate the recent actions by the Special Prosecutor (SP) against the former Finance Minister, Mr Kenneth Ofori-Atta.
He noted that Mr Ofori-Atta had gone out of the jurisdiction before the SP requested his presence in some five cases, including issues of the National Cathedral, currently being investigated.
Mr Dame said he found the actions of the SP as “a bit extreme and he could have avoided that.”
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, the former Attorney General cited the correspondence between the SP and Mr Ofori-Atta, based on which he could not have declared him as a “fugitive.”
Mr Dame said he had never made any pronouncements against the SP, except when he (Special Prosecutor) referred the case of Cecilia Abena Dapaah, former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, to the Economic and Organised Crime Office.
He recounted how he had allowed the SP to work independently.
The press conference, Mr Dame said, was to set the records straight and to unveil alleged “half truths and manipulation of facts” by Dr Dominic Ayine, the Attorney General, on recent withdrawal and discontinuation of cases involving some officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
On delays in the prosecution of some NDC officials, Mr Dame said he could not be blamed for the long period of prosecution.
He noted that in the Republic verses Dr Stephen Opuni, former Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, and the Seidu Agongo case, 15 appeals as well as 47 interlocutory injunctions were filed.
Mr Dame said his office, therefore, decided to introduce a bill to ensure that criminal cases were expeditiously dealt with by the Judiciary.
GNA