Former Attorney General during the Kufuor administration has counselled the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to refrain from organising press conferences to criticise judges’ dismissive rulings in suspected corruption cases.
Instead, Nii Ayikoi Otoo suggests that the OSP should utilise the legal avenue of filing appeals.
His remarks follow the recent expression of concern by the OSP regarding the growing trend of dismissive rulings in suspected corruption cases, which it fears might impede the fight against corruption.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, November 29, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng voiced his apprehension about the “growing hasty dismissiveness and lack of regard” for cases of suspected corruption.
This, he believes could seriously hinder his office’s ability to fulfil its mandate.
Mr Agyebeng highlighted specific cases, including the acquittal of Cecilia Dapaah, a former government official, in a suspected corruption case, and the court’s refusal to freeze the estate of the late NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.
But in an interview on Citi FM on Tuesday, Mr Ayikoi Otoo stated, “I do not think that it is necessary for him to lament and to hold press conferences.
“I mean when a lawyer goes to court and he loses a case, if you believe strongly that the judges committed errors in coming to that conclusion, all you need to do is to file an appeal.”
He added, “He (Kissi Agyabeng) is completely wrong; he should have done that…Instead of going on appeal, you sit and cry to the press. What does he want the press to do for him? That is very disappointing on his part.”
Creation of OSP was an act in futility – Speaker
Meanwhile, during parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, asserted that the law establishing the OSP was an act of futility.
Speaking during the consideration of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, he stressed that the Office will not achieve any results in the fight against corruption.