Private legal practitioner Mr Kofi Bekai says it is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can pronounce persons guilty of a crime.
He argued that if authorities of state have any reason to believe that individuals who served as appointees in the previous administration conducted themselves in breach of our laws, the best approach is to arraign them before a court of competent jurisdiction for them to be prosecuted.
The lawyer said it does not lie in the mouth of anyone to pronounce persons in an ongoing investigation guilty before they are charged for alleged offences.
He was reacting to the recent media encounter of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine on some alleged corruption cases involving former appointees of the previous NPP government.
Mr BEKAI advised that if the Attorney General has irrefutable evidence to support the alleged corruption against the individuals mentioned, he should bring them before court with charges and not use the media in prosecuting them.
He said every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction.
Speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr Bekai said, “Every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Until a judge pronounces guilt, nobody can do so. You cannot use the media to pronounce people guilty. If you are charged, the prosecution must bring you before the court and prosecute you.
The reason why some people have criticised the attorney general is that they expect him to send the persons to court by using the appropriate institutions. You cannot use the media to run commentary on the matters,” he remarked.
He cautioned that individuals whose names have been mentioned may seek legal recourse for defamation, emphasising that “you have not completed your investigation, nor have you initiated legal proceedings against them, and thus, it is premature to publicly comment on the matter. If your investigation is concluded, proceed to court and press charges. Only upon a court’s declaration of guilt can the identities of these individuals be disclosed.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
