Attorney-General requests for Ataa Ayi's docket

Accra, Mar 2, GNA - Mr Ayikoo Otoo, Attorney - General and Minister of Justice, has requested for the docket on Ataa Ayi, Ghana's most wanted armed robber, whom the Police nabbed on Monday.

The request was in a letter Mr Otoo, wrote to the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Kofi Boakye, asking him for the docket as soon as it was ready, to enable the Attorney - General's Office to process him for court in the shortest possible time.

A statement Mr Otoo signed said the action was part of measures being instituted by him "to ensure the speedy but fair trial of people who fall foul of the law and whose actions are a menace to society".

The Attorney-General has also directed the Director of Public Prosecution to submit to him an inventory of all criminal cases, which were pending before he assumed office for the necessary action to be taken on them.

Mr Otoo said: "It is the aim of government to expedite action on all such cases to ensure that justice is fairly and speedily administered."

Mr Otoo said: "The Government respects the Constitution of Ghana and in keeping with Article 19(1) that all persons charged with criminal offence, are entitled to be given fair hearing within a reasonable time in court.

Offenders must have their day in court.

In a related development the Attorney-General met with Heads and/or Legal Offices of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Immigration Service, Serious Fraud Office (SFO} and the Ghana Army in his office to discuss what assistance the Attorney-General's Department could offer to their various outfit to ensure effective and efficient administration of justice.

Mr Otoo advised the Heads to respect the Constitution, especially in the area of arrest, restriction and detention and emphasised that since the Constitution permitted periods of detention beyond 48 hours only upon a court's order "where the desire is to hold the person beyond the 48 hours they should apply to the courts for the necessary orders".