'Stop lamenting in the media' – Dr Srem-Sai hits back at Dame over Hanan's re-arrest

The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has responded to former Attorney General Godfred Dame's public criticism regarding the re-arrest of former National Food and Buffer Stock Company boss Hanan Abdul-Wahab, stating that the former government appointee fails to understand the concerns raised.

According to a report by 3news.com on May 7, 2026, Dr Srem-Sai questioned why Dame has been “lamenting across the media” instead of addressing the facts of the case.

“You need to hear from the accused regarding the fresh evidence. This will inform your final decision on whether to charge the individual or not. To claim that fresh evidence is not available simply because you lack it is entirely improper and unethical,” he told journalists on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Dr Srem-Sai emphasised that the prosecution remains confident in its case against the accused despite the withdrawal of charges.

“We still believe we have a strong case against the accused; there is no doubt about that.

“Fresh evidence indicates that something new has been discovered. Whether this leads to a new charge or strengthens the existing case is why we need to interrogate the accused to hear his side of the story,” he stated.

He noted that pursuing additional interrogation after discovering new evidence is a standard procedure in criminal investigations.

He expressed confusion over why the former Attorney General publicly criticised this method.

“It’s a routine part of criminal procedure to take such steps whenever fresh evidence emerges. I don’t understand why the former Attorney General, who should be well aware of this, has chosen to voice concerns in the media and reiterate the same point,” he said.

Before Dr Srem-Sai's comments, Godfred Dame had urged him to adhere to due process and maintain high standards of prosecution when holding former government officials accountable.

He referred to the re-arrest as a “face-saving attempt” following the withdrawal of earlier charges, arguing that the prosecution’s case had weakened in court due to objections that exposed flaws in both the charges and the intended evidence.

“When it became clear that the prosecution could not proceed, they withdrew the charges and then decided to place the accused in custody,” he told journalists.

Dame also suggested that earlier public statements by officials may have contributed to pressure to justify the case, which he said could damage the reputation of the accused.

He expressed concern about what he described as a broader decline in investigative and prosecutorial standards, warning that this could undermine public confidence in the justice system.

“The ultimate way to ensure accountability is through adherence to due process and maintaining high standards of prosecution,” he said.

NAD/AE

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