The controversy surrounding the arrest and prosecution of former National Signals Bureau Director General, Kwabena Adu Boahene, has taken a new turn.
The Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, has come out to defend his boss, Dominic Ayine, against accusations of making prejudicial comments in the case.
According to Dr. Srem-Sai, the Attorney General’s confidence in securing a conviction against Adu Boahene is not unusual.
He explained that the Attorney General is not a neutral arbiter but a party in legal proceedings.
“Attorney Generals all the time have a stance on any case that they take to court. They have their position. The Attorney General is not an arbiter who is required to be fair and not to prejudice a case,” he stated.
Dr. Srem-Sai’s comments were in response to concerns raised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and other groups.
They had criticized the Attorney General for his handling of the case, accusing him of abusing his power and compromising the rule of law.
The controversy began when the Attorney General announced that the evidence against Adu Boahene was strong enough to secure a conviction.
This was before Adu Boahene was officially charged, leading to accusations that the Attorney General was prejudging the case.
However, Dr. Srem-Sai insisted that the Attorney General’s stance is nothing new.
He argued that the Attorney General always takes a position in cases he prosecutes.
“Anytime he’s arresting someone or is putting a person before a court, that Attorney General is always saying that I have what it takes to obtain a conviction. So it is nothing new, it is nothing out of place,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Samuel Atta Akyea, a lawyer for Adu Boahene, has accused the Attorney General of violating his client’s fundamental human rights.
In a statement, Atta Akyea argued that the Attorney General’s pronouncements have prejudged the case and compromised the fairness of the trial.
Atta Akyea’s statement read, “The Learned Attorney-General of the realm, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, in his reset version of the rule of law, and romancing the press, pronounced our Clients guilty of state looting, in the court of public opinion, and cheapened the press conference by saying our Clients are still being investigated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).”
Adu Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, were arrested in connection with an alleged financial misconduct case involving a $7 million cyber defense contract.
They have not yet been formally charged and are currently working to meet their bail conditions.
The case has sparked a heated debate about the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
While the Attorney General has been criticized for his handling of the case, others have defended him, arguing that he is simply doing his job.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
