The Minority in Parliament has launched a scathing attack on Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, accusing him of violating the Constitution and undermining the principle of fair trial through what they described as a ‘press prosecution’ of individuals under investigation.
The Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, who spoke on behalf of the Minority, said the Attorney General’s ‘Accountability Series’ amounts to a deliberate media trial that prejudices ongoing cases.
“By this press prosecution, the Attorney General has violated his oath to be fair to all manner of persons. He has also violated a core constitutional provision in our criminal jurisprudence and prejudiced the fair trial principle under Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution,” Mr. Darko declared.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Monday, Mr. Darko accused the Attorney General of branding accused persons as criminals in the public domain before their cases are even heard in court.
“The AG has turned upside down the well-established criminal law jurisprudence of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ to ‘guilty until proven innocent’,” he lamented.
Citing examples, the Suame MP referenced the Attorney General’s remarks in the case involving the Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, which the AG reportedly dubbed ‘Rumble in the Jungle.’
“Why does he call them ‘lawless looters’ and people engaging in a ‘criminal enterprise’? How many Ghanaians don’t already believe these accused persons — Hanan Abdul-Wahab, Faiza Seidu Wuni, Gifty Oware Mensah, Osei Assibey, Chairman Wontumi, and Kwabena Adu Boahene — are guilty, even before they open their defence?” Mr. Darko questioned.
He warned that such conduct by the state’s chief legal officer undermines public confidence in the judiciary, stressing that judges, as members of society, are not immune to media influence.
“Our judges live among us; they listen to the same radio stations and attend the same social gatherings. To pretend they cannot be influenced by the Attorney General’s public commentary is self-deception,” Mr. Darko said.
He described the AG’s actions as unethical and a violation of the standards of the legal profession, adding that lawyers are expected to refrain from discussing matters that are sub judice.
The Minority also challenged the Attorney General’s commitment to accountability, demanding updates on cases involving former NDC officials.
“If this government truly believes in accountability, why were cases against people like Ato Forson and Collins Dauda withdrawn? An accountable government should follow through and retrieve monies allegedly embezzled,” he asked.
While reaffirming the NPP Minority’s support for genuine accountability, he emphasized their opposition to what he called a politically motivated “media circus.”
“Competent Attorneys-General don’t try their cases in the court of public opinion. They try them in the courtroom,” Mr. Darko said.
He urged journalists and civil society to resist amplifying what he described as a grand populist agenda by the Attorney General.
He urged Ghanaians to rise up and challenge these constitutional violations, warning that if this is not done, the state will wake up one day to find its democracy has been completely eroded.
Mr. Darko warned that the Minority will continue to expose any attempts by the government to subvert constitutional principles under the guise of accountability.
