The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame to the cleaners, accusing him of being biased in the prosecution of some high-profile political cases in the country.
The opposition cited cases such as the Republic versus James Gyakye Quayson, the Republic versus Dr Stephen Opuni and the Republic versus Carssiel Ato Forson, as some of the high-profile political cases that the Akufo-Addo government is overly obsessed about.
The party believes its members are being persecuted by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and called on Mr Dame to channel the same energy into prosecuting former CEO of Menzgold, Nana Apiah Mensah alias “NAM1”, accused persons in the JB Danquah’s murder, the Ahmed Suale murder case and also the killing of Major Mahama.
The Herald is also aware of the trial of the ex-NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and a Deputy National Communications Officer of the opposition party, Anthony Kwaku Boahen at an Accra High Court.
The party’s Legal Directorate in a statement issued yesterday said “We also want a speedy trial in the Menzgold, Ahmed Suale, Major Mahama and J. B. Danquah cases and on this basis can they kindly also apply for daily trials in these cases too? Justice must be seen to be pursued and done to all manner of persons and in all cases,”
The NDC lawyer also condemned the ongoing criminal prosecution of its Assin North legislator, James Gyakye Quayson.
The High Court judge hearing the case plans to sit every day, a decision the NDC has appealed.
“The election results from Assin North is a resounding victory and a message from the people of Assin North to the NPP that it is Gyakye Quayson they want and this message, despite all the machinations of the NPP in Assin North, is like an egg in the face of the NPP, thus, we expect the AG to listen to the good advice of the eminent Dormaahene, the two Former AGs of Ghana Ayikwei Otoo and Marietta Brew who have all spoken and advised their younger brother Godfred Yeboah Dame to stop the prosecution before he gets more eggs in his face.”
The statement comes as an audio recording capturing President Akufo-Addo’s remarks about James Gyakye Quayson at a campaign rally was played in open court during the proceedings of the Assin-North by-election trial yesterday.
The audio became a point of reference for Tsatsu Tsikata, the lawyer representing Quayson, in his argument against alleged prejudicial remarks made against his client.
Mr Tsikata moved an application on behalf of Quayson, requesting a hold on the trial until the Court of Appeal determines the appeal challenging the court’s decision to hear the case on a daily basis. He emphasized that the President’s remarks violated Quayson’s right to a fair trial.
However, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, interjected, expressing his view that it was unfair to play only a portion of the audio.
He believed that playing only 15 seconds of the recording lacked proper context and insisted that the full video should have been presented to the court.
Tsikata countered, arguing that denying the application for a stay would imply a predetermined outcome of the trial. He stressed the importance of considering the potential impact of the President’s remarks on the fairness of the proceedings.
The High Court has adjourned the case to July 11 to deliver a ruling on the application for a stay of proceedings.
LEGAL AFFAIRS DIRECTORATE RESPONSE TO THE PRESS RELEASE OF THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY GENERAL GODFRED YEBOAH DAME.
The Legal Directorate of the NDC have seen and read a Press Statement from the Hon. Attorney General (AG) expressing his sentiments about reactions to all the high-profile political prosecutions he’s undertaking.
The cases in point which he refers to are the following:
1. Rep .V James Gyakye Quayson
2. Rep. V Dr. Stephen Opuni and others
3. Rep. V. Carssiel Ato Forson.
Before we go into the substance of his Press Release we want to draw our attention to something in the study of law called the “reasonable man standard.”
This is a standard of measure of the conduct of people using the common sense principle. The question is would the ordinary mind see what is happening to be reasonable? Is it justified?
One fact is that people always want to see the common sense in what you are doing and it’s on this basis that people can determine what you are about and your intentions. So far every reasonable person out there sees the above three cases as persecution instead of prosecution intended to score political points.
The AG may want to use whatever legal gymnastics to try to make it look as if these prosecutions are so legally, factually and sufficiently evidence based but to the ordinary observer who has followed all that has gone on, knows, this is no prosecution at all but persecution.
So the AG Godfred Yeboah Dame can try to “spin” the law, even on Appeal to get favourable decisions but every reasonable observer can read between the lines. We are happy the AG understands, appreciates, and sees the need for freedom of speech and we hope that his expressions on freedom of speech in his Press Release is something he truly believes in and not just mere expressions on paper.
Freedom of speech is a guaranteed right in our constitution and we know that a Lawyer in good standing so far, he would ensure that that right of every person in Ghana is respected. It has been said that he’s engaging in selective justice and whilst on one hand he claims in his Press Release that discrimination of all kinds are abhorred by our constitution, little has been done so far by him to demonstrate that indeed he’s not engaged in selective justice.
One would have thought that a case like Menzgold would have been long concluded so that all the many Ghanaians who look up to him as the AG of Ghana and who are the suffering customers of Menzgold, would have taken steps to ensure a speedy trial of any crime allegedly committed by Nana Appiah Mensah so that his suffering customers would receive justice because they must also be treated equally without discrimination in the delay of their case.
We were all in this country when the Bank of Ghana (BOG) claimed that it had conducted investigations into a company called Menzgold owned by one Nana Appiah Mensah aka NAM1. Fast forward, this company was shut down by the Security and Exchange Commission of Ghana in September 2018 leading to excruciating losses to numerous Ghanaians running into the thousands who have invested there. The alleged grounds for shutting down his business is that he was operating without the requisite licenses in addition to the fact that he was engaging in a Ponzi scheme.
Ponzi schemes are fraudulent schemes all around the world and when they are uncovered swift action is taken to protect investors, the operators are quickly prosecuted, assets are sold and recovered investments are returned to its unsuspecting customers who have been lured to invest there.
Unfortunately in Ghana and under the watch of the present Attorney General a pretentious prosecution is ongoing to fool the masses to think something is being done when in actual fact the accused person is enjoying himself at the expense of its customers many of whom have died at the hands of this very same AG and NPP government but the AG has seen nothing wrong with such a delayed prosecution.
No one speaks for the customers in Ghana and no one in government is taking the serious steps that other civilized nations take to ensure customers of such scams are reimbursed or restored.
Such injustice has been ongoing since September 2018 spanning a very long period of five (5) years with the customers crying and wailing unto the death ears of the AG. So far even the advice that is supposed to be given by the AG to pave the way for the criminal prosecution of NAM1 has not been sent for prosecution to start since the past 5 years.
Honestly, the time spent to prepare and issue the Press Release could have been better used to prepare the advice to the police so they can quickly start the trial in the NAM1 case.
Same can be said in the Ahmed Suale case, J. B. Danquah case, etc which have all crawled as if they attract no form of importance and undeserving of justice or equality before the law.
Interestingly, and under very flimsy excuses and in an orchestrated trial, the AG sees the need to pray for a daily trial in the name of politics but at the expense of the rights of Mr. Gyakye Quayson a citizen of Ghana who has done nothing compared to the case of NAM1.
The question is, is Hon Gyakye Quayson equal before the law? Does he deserve justice? Does he deserve a fair trial? Which principles of law apply to Opuni case, Gyakye Quayson case, and Carssiel Ato Forson case that can’t apply to the Ahmed Suale case, Major Mahama case, J. B. Danquah case, Menzgold case, etc?
Truth is, we need no Press Release from him telling us about equality before the law, discrimination, freedom of speech, etc. Action speaks louder than words.
Very prominent and eminent personalities in Ghana have spoken and advised the AG to discontinue the Gyakye Quayson case and we hope he would listen.
The election results from Asin North is a resounding victory and a message from the people of Asin North to the NPP that it is Hon Gyakye Quayson they want and this message, despite all the machinations of the NPP in Asin North, is like an egg in the face of the NPP, thus, we expect the AG to listen to the good advice of the eminent Dormaahene, the two Former AGs of Ghana Hon. Ayikwei Otoo and Hon. Marietta Brew who have all spoken and advised their younger brother Godfred Yeboah Dame to stop the prosecution before he gets more eggs in his face.
To borrow the word “suffering” from the Vice President Dr. Bawumia when he was busily campaigning against the NDC and went on a singing spree…tailors are sufferings, market women are suffering, nurses are suffering, plumbers are suffering….. everybody is suffering.
On this suffering note, we would also say: Menzgold customers are suffering, the family of late Major Mahama are suffering Ahmed Suale is suffering…J. B. Danquah is suffering…And on the other hand…Opuni is suffering…Gyakye Quayson is suffering…. Carsiel Ato Forson is suffering…
We also want speedy trial in the Menzgold, Ahmed Suale, Major Mahama and J. B. Danquah cases and on this basis can they kindly also apply for daily trials in these cases too? Justice must be seen to be pursued and done to all manner of persons and in all cases.
-SIGNED
Legal Directorate, NDC
