E-technology has improved prosecution of crimes – Chief Justice

Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, Chief Justice of Ghana, has said the introduction of e-technology into the trial process has eased prosecution of transnational crime cases with access to videos and footages.

“The advent of E-technology also meant that nationally there is the ability to conduct trials and take evidence by video link, flash drives, CCTV footage, emails, VCD, DVD etc,” he said.

He said this in his key note address read on his behalf by Justice Nene Abayatie Offei Amegatcher of the Supreme Court Ghana at the opening of the Second Annual Attorney Generals Alliance- Africa (AGA-Africa) Conference in Accra.

The two-day conference held under the theme: “Tackling the Reality of Transnational Crime in Africa,” brought together stakeholders to address modern trends in transnational crime and ways to tackle such crimes across the borders.

He said Ghana's legislative arsenal was adapting to deal with transnational crimes, with the latest effort being the Anti Money Laundering Bill to improve on the current Anti Money Laundering Act 2008 (Act 749).

He said adherence to a uniform regime in legislation and ensuring that domestic legislation was responsive to the ever changing face of transnational crime, ratification of international conventions aimed at fighting the menace of transnational crime would deepen cooperation between state parties and crime fighting agencies.

Additionally, he said, the adoption of a unified vision and approach were some of the practical initiatives to be taken by African states in dealing with the spectre of transnational crime.

He said transnational organized crimes were cross border in nature which covered illicit activities such as cybercrime, drug trafficking, environmental crime, smuggling of cultural artifacts, wild life, crime and weapons trafficking.

Mr Godfred Yeboah Odame, Deputy Attorney General Ghana, said technology has generally transformed life around the world and its benefits were not lost on criminal organizations.

“It has resulted in what I term organised criminal exploitation of digital technology,” he said.

Additionally, he said, contemporary transnational criminals have taken advantage of globalization, trade liberalization and new technologies to perpetrate diverse crimes to move money, goods, services and people instantaneously for purposes of committing violence and other crimes, even for political ends.

He said globalisation has facilitated international trade through the widespread deregulation the world has seen since the 1980s, which has allowed illicit actors to launder the proceeds of crime more easily.

He said it was noted long ago by the leaders of the G8 in a statement issued in 1998 in Birmingham, that, “globalization has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in transnational crime”.

He said this did not pose a threat to only citizens and their communities but undermined the democratic world economic basis of societies through the investment of illegal money by international cartels, corruption, a weakening of institutions and loss of confidence in the rule of law.

He said the financial crimes, corruption and its related offences- money laundering and illicit financial flows constitute the most serious and urgent transnational offences Africa was encountering.

Madam Karen White, Executive Director, AGA-Africa, said AGA-Africa Alliance Partnership collaborated with African Justice and Law Enforcement agencies and other state and non-state actors to share knowledge and experience in the fight against transnational crimes.

She said they were currently working with justice and law enforcement bodies such as the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Public Prosecutions, Solicitors General, the Police, academic bodies and other transnational actors on the continent.