Fast track or not, prosecution will go ahead - Minister

THE MAJORITY Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Papa Owusu-Ankomah, has made it clear that whether Tsatsu Tsikata wins the appeal at the Supreme Court about the constitutionality of the Fast Track High Court (FTHC) or not the government would not abandon its mission to prosecute all those found to have stolen state funds.

He said the government, of which he is a Cabinet Minister, would use the due process of the law to prosecute at the normal court system all those found guilty of misappropriating state funds, should the review of the Supreme Court about the FTHC go otherwise.

Hon. Owusu-Ankomah, who was speaking at a meeting with his constituents at Sekondi last Saturday, said the FTHC which has been declared unconstitutional in Ghana is currently operating in some advanced countries trying mainly criminal cases.

The minister further told the well-attended forum that the current lull in the prosecution of some ex-ministers at the law courts is because the government believes in the rule of law and would, therefore, not do anything to flout the Supreme Court ruling that the FTHC trying these ex-ministers is unconstitutional.

Owusu-Ankomah who was flanked by the Regional Party Chairman, Mr. Peter Mac Manu, and the Sekondi Metro Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, however, pointed out that the lull in the prosecution should not be misconstrued by the public to mean that the government has compromised on her position.

He said in cases like this, thorough investigations ought to be conducted before the person is brought to court for trial.

He, therefore, called on the people to exercise patience as they are also doing their best to ensure that state looters are brought to book.

"Already, those found guilty after prosecution have been sentenced to various prison terms. It is my belief that others are going to follow," he added.

Touching on the $20,000 loans that are to be given to MPs, Hon. Owwusu-Ankomah said he personally has nothing against that decision because it is his belief that each MP must have his own car and a driver to ensure effective discharge of his duties.

Besides this, he continued, the loan is not compulsory but optional; consequently those who want it put in their application, as granted by the leadership of the House in September, last year.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah further told his people that contrary to popular perception, the money was not handed over to the MPs who applied for the loan.

It was rather handed over directly to the car dealers who sold the vehicles to the MPs.

According to the majority leader, the leadership of the House has already started a monthly deduction of ?1.2 million from the salaries of the MPs who opted for the loan that must be repaid within four years.

Owusu-Ankomah was also compelled to comment on why President Kufuor has refused to fly with the presidential jet bought by the previous government, which NDC claims the state is still paying for.

According to the Sekondi MP, President Kufuor does not travel on a chartered plane as the public is being made to believe.

He travels on commercial flights, he said. He also debunked a claim by the NDC party that the state is still paying for the jet, adding that as at now, nobody has come forward to claim that it was he or she who sold the controversial jet to Ghana.

Peter Mac Manu on his part said by the end of this year, his government hopes to bring down inflation to a single digit.

This, he continued, would enable the interest rate to come down to between 10 and 12% to give Ghanaians access to loans at the banks and also to boost investment.