‘Political cases’ not waiting for Special Prosecutor – AG

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Gloria Akuffo, has rubbished claims that the seeming delay in prosecuting alleged corrupt officials in the Mahama administration is because such cases are being set aside for the Special Prosecutor.

“It has never been the case that cases are not coming to court because we are waiting for the office of the Special Prosecutor. That is a perception which is wrong,” she snorted at a question from a journalist during the $6million National Communication Authority (NCA) trial Tuesday January 9, 2018.

Explaining the processes leading to a trial, she said, “A case is not started merely because a docket has been submitted to the office. I think the expression that the investigators always use is that we have submitted the docket to the office of the Attorney General for advice. This is because investigations involve largely the gathering of evidence.”

She continued, “For purposes of evaluation for prosecution, the Attorney General would have to study the docket and determine whether what is on the docket will warrant a prosecution. That at least will require accused person to be called upon to answer. That is what it has been about.”

On the $6million NCA trial, she said the Court has agreed in principle to sit twice a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This, she noted, is because one of the accused persons would be attending hospital thrice a week due to bad health.

Full trial of the case of willfully causing financial loss to the state brought against former board chairman of the National Communication Authority (NCA), Eugene Baffoe – Bonnie and four others will begin from January 16, 2018 before an Accra Commercial High Court presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour.