Engineer and Policy Analyst, Michael Kosi Dedey, has expressed grave concern over Ghana’s slow judicial process, warning that persistent delays in dispensing justice are steadily eroding public confidence.
His remarks come in the wake of renewed controversy surrounding the murder case of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, which was recently discontinued by the Attorney General’s Office.
According to Mr. Dedey, the growing public refrain of “go to court” whenever disputes arise reflects a deepening distrust in the judicial system. He cautioned that the increasing normalization of such statements suggests that Ghanaians no longer believe the courts deliver timely or impartial verdicts.
“It is important for judges to know that justice delayed is justice denied. So, in that context, every Ghanaian should be worried because of what you hear a lot of people say these days. Now, when something happens, or when somebody deliberately or unconsciously does something offensive to you – then they say, ‘go to court’”
“Why are they saying that? Because they have a strong belief that the court system is either unfair or very slow, so you won’t get justice”
Michael Kosi Dedey, Engineer and Policy Analyst
He emphasized that this perception poses a grave threat to social cohesion and governance, as it reinforces the belief that justice can be manipulated or indefinitely delayed.
Mr. Dedey urged the judiciary to act with urgency to restore public confidence and efficiency in the administration of justice, adding that the erosion of trust could lead to dire social consequences.
Mr. Dedey warned that the continued delays in concluding court cases risk driving citizens towards self-help and mob justice. “Once people begin to have bad feelings about the judicial system, anger builds up, and one day it erupts,” he cautioned.
He called for swift reforms to ensure fairness and stability in the judicial system to promote both justice, national security and most importantly to prevent dissatisfied people from resorting to violence. “We are creating chaos with these trials and delays in finishing cases,” he warned.
Demand for Renewed Investigations
Mr. Dedey’s comments come after the Madina District Court discharged the accused in the murder case of Ahmed Suale. The accused, Daniel Owusu Koranteng, was freed following a directive from the Attorney General’s Office citing insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution.
Ahmed Suale, a key member of the Tiger Eye P.I. investigative team, was shot dead in January 2019 by unknown assailants – a crime that sparked national outrage and intensified calls for justice. Despite several years of investigation, authorities have made little headway in identifying and prosecuting the culprits.
Reacting to the development, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Legal and Communication Team, Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, called for a more professional and comprehensive investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“For me, this should be an eye-opener. This is something we should look at and go back to the drawing board. We should be professionals. We must improve the way we do investigations. This case should speak to the conscience of the investigators and authorities. I want the investigators to speak the truth”
Victor Kwadjoga Adawudu, Member of the NDC Legal and Communication Team
Mr. Adawudu decried the tendency for “armchair investigations,” blaming institutional inefficiencies and resource constraints for the poor quality of criminal investigations in the country.
He stressed the importance of equipping investigators with the resources and independence needed to deliver credible results, insisting that only a serious and transparent process could restore public trust in the rule of law.
“Let us be bold to speak truth to authority. We need to come to the logical conclusion of the killing of Ahmed Suale so that it never happens again,” he added. Mr. Adawudu, however, commended the Attorney General for the courage to discontinue the case given the lack of evidence to secure a conviction.
Both Dedey and Adawudu’s remarks underline a shared concern about the credibility of Ghana’s justice system and the urgent need for institutional reforms to restore faith in the country’s judicial and investigative processes.
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