Minority accuses Attorney General of prejudicing cases through ‘media circus’

The Minority in Parliament has accused the Attorney General, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, of undermining the constitutional rights of accused persons by publicly labelling them as criminals before the courts determine their guilt.

Addressing journalists in Parliament, the Minority’s Legal Counsel and MP for Suame, John Darko, said the Attorney General’s recent public remarks about ongoing prosecutions amount to “pronouncing suspects guilty before a fair trial.”

His comments follow the Attorney General’s description of the former CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP as “lawless looters” engaged in criminal acts.

The Minority argues that such statements compromise the integrity of the justice system and violate the presumption of innocence guaranteed under the Constitution.

“Competent Attorneys General don’t prosecute their cases in the court of public opinion,” Mr. Darko said. “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 this media circus that destroys people’s reputations even before they get a chance to open their defence?”

He also urged journalists to avoid amplifying what he described as a “grand populist agenda” by the Attorney General, warning that such commentary could weaken the country’s constitutional protections.

“You publish and amplify these press briefings thinking you are doing your job, but what you are doing is amplifying the violation of the Constitution,” he cautioned.

Mr. Darko further warned that such actions “should not be tolerated” as they are “gradually tearing down our constitutional guardrails.”

The Minority insists that the Attorney General must be called to order to ensure that prosecutorial actions remain within the confines of the law and the courtroom.

By: Addo Dennis Adjei

Read also…