The Minority in Parliament has accused the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, of disregarding the constitutional rights of accused persons by publicly describing them as criminals before court proceedings are concluded.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, the Minority’s Legal Counsel and Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, argued that the Attorney General’s public comments about ongoing cases amount to “pronouncing suspects guilty before a fair trial.”
His remarks come after the Attorney General reportedly referred to the former CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP as “lawless looters” allegedly engaged in criminal conduct.
According to the Minority, such public statements undermine the integrity of Ghana’s justice system and breach the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence.
“Competent Attorneys General don’t prosecute their cases in the court of public opinion. Put the evidence before the court. If you stand the test of time and the court pronounces them guilty, so be it. Why do you bring the evidence to the media for just this media circus to destroy the image of people even before they get a chance to open their defences?” he stated.
He also cautioned journalists against amplifying what he described as a “grand populist agenda” by the Attorney General, warning that such reportage risks weakening constitutional safeguards.
“You publish and amplify these presses thinking you are doing your job, but what you are doing is amplifying the violation of the Constitution,” he said.
“These constitutional violations… should not be tolerated. It is gradually tearing down our constitutional guardrails.”
The Minority further called for the Attorney General to be cautioned, emphasizing that all prosecutorial actions must adhere strictly to the rule of law and remain within the confines of the courtroom.
Source: Adomonline
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