Some lawyers warned me that judges will gang up against the OSP – Kissi Agyebeng
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has revealed warnings from some senior and experienced lawyers concerning a conspiracy by some judges to reject all cases his office brings before them.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, November 29, Mr Agyebeng expressed worry over some regressive judicial judgements in relation to this conspiracy, hampering the work of the OSP.
“Indeed, I have had several calls from well-meaning lawyers admonishing me that they have heard talk that our friends who have been elevated to the bench and presiding over court cases do not take very kindly to criticism, especially of the public-calling-out variety, as we do.
“And that if the office persists in the media releases, the judges will gang up against the office and throw out all our cases,” he said.
To buttress his point, the Special Prosecutor mentioned four corruption cases that have been dismissed by the courts recently.
He cited the acquittal of Cecilia Dapaah, a former government official, in a corruption case and the refusal of a court order to freeze the estate of former NPP General Secretary Kojo Owusu Afriyie despite mounting allegations of corruption against his estate.
In another case, a High Court nullified a report by the OSP that implicated Col Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of the Customs Division at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and Joseph Adu Kyei, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Division, for utilizing their positions to provide favourable tax treatment to Labianca Company, a frozen foods company.
He said this would embolden every person under criminal investigation to take out suits to injunct investigation and prosecution bodies from investigating and prosecuting them.
“It will be absolutely of no good should it be the case that the OSP is set against the judiciary or that the judiciary is against the OSP. That will surely spell disastrous consequences for this republic, especially in the fight against corruption to the amending glee of corrupt persons,” he said.