The Attorney General (AG), Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong has been challenged to leave a legacy by giving rights Ghanaians to question any AG if he or she fails to prosecute any corrupt official.
Legal practitioner Ace Ankomah threw the challenge and said is it time for the Nolle Prosequi in Article 88 (3) of the 1992 Constitution to be “watered down.”
He explained that the existence of this Article prevents the general public from questioning the AG when a corrupt individual is not prosecuted.
[contextly_sidebar id=”1PXdTGkS4gAGuW8MK6jLndTR9oWUPvUp”]“Article 88 (3) gives the Attorney General the absolute right to determine who is prosecuted and who is not and so when the AG even under our Criminal and Offences Procedure Act issues that document called Nolle Prosequi, it can’t be questioned,” he said.
He stressed that the people of Ghana deserve some explanations from the AG “…but that never happens because of the strict classical application of the so called Nolle Prosequi… It is time to water it down.”
There has been public outrage following some high profile corruption cases which has seen some key persons and organizations excluded from prosecution.
These cases include the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) case and the GHC 51 million judgment debt paid to businessman Alfred Woyome.
Questions have arisen as to why RLG Communications and Jospong Group of Companies are not being investigated and prosecuted for their alleged involvement in the GYEEDA scandal and also, why former Attorney General, Betty Mould Iddrisu was not hurled before the law court for the role she played in the payment of the GHC 51 million judgment debt.
Ace Ankomah has therefore challenged Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong to leave a legacy “by saying that if there is a matter of substantial national interest and I decide not to prosecute, I will issue a document to the people of Ghana to explain why I have decided not to prosecute.”
“I challenge a brave Attorney General to do this for the history of this country,” he added.
Ace Ankomah was certain that if the current AG “starts to do this, it’s going to open up a clear manifestation of probity and accountability that the ultimate power rests with the people and I am accountable to the people and not just the person who appointed me.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan