The Former National Chairman of the Peoples’ National Convention Bernard Mornah has criticized the decision by the High Court in Accra to nullify a report by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that implicated two individuals in the Labianca case.
Reacting to the judgment of the High Court describing the Office of the Special Prosecutor as overstepping its authority in making adverse findings in the Labianca case, Mr Mornah indicated that the High Court ruling undermines the fight against corruption in the country.
According to him, the ruling by the High Court in Accra only emboldens persons who engage in corruption and corrupt-related activities in the country rather than strengthening state institutions to fight against the menace of corruption.
“Evidently, Domelevo, Martin Amidu, Vitus Azim, Manasseh Azure Awuni, Andrew Awuni etc. probably can come for their stones because they have said on various occasions that when you are out there to fight corruption, corruption will fight you back and in most cases, the strength of corruption fighting you is heavier than the strength you can marshal against corruption. So in instances where corrupt officials; people who have undermined state capacity are being investigated, these are powerful money bags and they can go to any length and extent to fight you back.
“This issue had come up about the under-invoicing that made our state lose a lot of money and the OSP in its initial investigations has been able to recover in excess of GHS 1 Million and the money would go to the state, not the pocket of the OSP. In that he has been able to identify officials of customs that aided the process of our nation losing such huge sums of money and the OSP submitted a report and now on his way to court to pursue the matter, however, the individuals decided to also go to court and the court decide to side step the OSP’s decision and decided to order the OSP to cease any further investigations. It appears the court is in cohort to support these individuals to dupe the state”.
Bernard Mornah
Again, Mr Bernard Mornah expressed deep concerns about some inappropriate and immoral attitudes of some members of the bench that betray the country’s fight against corruption.
He noted that recent conduct by some judges on corruption and corruption-related cases in the country appears to affirm the longstanding perception and suspicion by most sections of the public that some judges are corrupt.
“Cases go dead and new evidence emerges and the cases are reopened right? But now the court says to stop further investigations so even if new evidence emerges by the decision of the court, you are not supposed to pursue them anymore. That cannot be the case!”
Bernard Mornah
President Akufo-Addo Accused Of Failing To Fight Against Corruption
Moreover, Mr Bernard Mornah rebuked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for failing to undertake and put in place the appropriate mechanisms to eliminate the high rate of corruption in the country particularly among public officers.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has failed to demonstrate adequate commitment towards the fight against corruption in the country as his actions go to a high extent to undermine the fight against corruption in the country.
“President Akufo-Addo is not the person to fight corruption and so if he appoints you into any office he intends that you should protect corrupt officials. So if you go there and intend to fight corruption he and the system will fight you. So if you talk about the cash for seat case, the Australia Visa scandal for instance up to date the scandal is still hanging on the necks of the people of Ghana and yet people have been cleared, reinstated and President Akufo-Addo tells these people that you have not committed any crime. If you add everything that is happening under President Akufo-Addo’s administration it confirms that president Akufo-Addo does not intend to fight against corruption”.
Bernard Mornah
However, Mr Bernard Mornah commended the Special Prosecutor for not abandoning the case but rather decided to pursue the case to its conclusion
He thus urged the public and all well-meaning Ghanaians to exercise restraint in their commentary and criticisms against the Special Prosecutor and rather encourage him to pursue the matter to its conclusion for the benefit of the country.
A report by the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) that named two people in the Labianca case was overturned by an Accra High Court.
Col Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Customs Division, and Joseph Adu Kyei, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Division, were charged with misconduct in the case in the OSP report.
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