Private legal practitioner Kofi Bekai has asked Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to stop using the media to intimidate former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and charge him if there are any criminal issues against him.
He was responding to the statement issued by the Office of Special Prosecutor acknowledging the legal action taken against the office by Mr Ofori-Atta and the ‘threat’ that he will be declared wanted again if he (Ofori-Atta) does not honour the June 2, 2025 invitation.
Mr Bekai opined that the OSP cannot just go ahead and declare Mr Ofori-Atta wanted if he is unable to honour the invitation, stating that he would have to engage with his lawyers to find out why that happened before any further action is taken.
He explained that in law, you cannot use intimidation against people, ‘’and so if you think someone has committed an offence, there is a way to go about it. You cannot abuse the person since the person can sue you for malicious prosecution. What if the person is advised medically not to come on June 2, 2025? All these possibilities are there, and if he cannot come and declare him wanted, it will escalate the issue.
Security issues should not be in the media. You have to quietly deal with the issue, and if you have to go to court, do so quietly without broadcasting it in the media. You don’t talk to the media when you are doing security work. If you’ve written to him to honour an invitation and he refuses, you know the state to take. You don’t come to the media and threaten to declare him wanted.’’
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he advised the OSP to exercise restraint and ”rather file charges against Ofori-Atta in court. He should examine him, prepare him for court, and let the court deal with the situation. He should not use the media to intimidate him. You cannot use the law to intimidate others. This is why we have the rule of law. The OSP should let the law do its job rather than using the media to intimidate or threaten Ofori-Atta”.
Mr. Kofi Bekai stressed if after all these processes the former minister fails to honour the invitation, then he can declare him a fugitive or wanted.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
