A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Edudzi Tamakloe, has criticized the intention of the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, revealing that his prejudicial comments on the criminal trial of Gyakye Quayson is unprofessional.
According to him, the Attorney General under the circumstances, cannot adopt such an unfair position in an ongoing trial. He indicated that the Attorney General is the “leader of the bar” and must not be caught making unsubstantiated remarks about the case.
“You see, consistently, the Attorney General has tried to poison the mind of the public and possibly to prejudice this particular Gyakye Quayson criminal trial in a manner that is not even professional. The very reason for doing it is for partisan, political end…”
Edudzi Tamakloe
Mr Tamakloe stated that being the “number one law enforcement officer in this republic”, Mr Dame must live above reproach. He explained that lawyers can err when it comes to certain things but not a person of the Attorney General’s standing.
“… So, if you have a situation where, consistently, a particular media campaign is launched by the Attorney General to create the impression that the Gyakye Quayson matter is the same as Adamu Dramani Sakande, when you do that, clearly the impression is now set up that you’re up to mischief. For me, I don’t have a problem if an ordinary foot soldier of the NPP or a serial caller engages in this conversation, but not the Attorney General.”
Edudzi Tamakloe
Supplementary affidavit filed for accused person
Narrating the incidents of yesterday’s proceedings in court, Mr Tamakloe stated that the whole conversation related to the application for variation of the orders made by the presiding High Court judge relating to the day to day hearing that was fixed by the court last week Friday.
However, he noted that the Attorney General raised a preliminary legal objection to a supplementary affidavit that was filed for and on behalf of the accused person, Gyakye Quayson. In that affidavit, he explained that the lawyers for the accused person made the point that it had become the “consistent pattern of the Attorney General today, whereupon what he does is that once he puts criminal charges against you, he constitutes himself to a judge and sometimes organizes the press to his office and effectively pronounces your guilt”.
With this, Mr Edudzi highlighted that the Attorney General carries out this action in a manner that does not accord with the legal profession and etiquette rule.
“… Yesterday in court, when these processes were brought to the attention of the court, the Attorney General now sought to run away from his own comments. I felt he would be man enough to say I mean what I have stated…”
Edudzi Tamakloe
Subsequently, Mr Tamakloe suggested that the standing of the Attorney General has afforded him some privileges he is taking advantage of. Conversely, he noted that if he had made this “highly prejudicial comment”, he would have either been held for contempt of court or disciplinary proceedings at the General Legal Council.
“So, if the laws of this country, we treat it depending on how your face looks, the name you have or the political party you are associated with, the impression is created that some people are isolated and insulated from the consequences of the law. Which useful country can be built on such reasoning? Again, why do you think the Attorney General will do it to Opuni and nobody will talk about it? So, he has transferred it to Gyakye Quayson. I feel so sad. What country are we building? As an Attorney General, your responsibility is to put the criminal charges, allow the court to do its work…”
Edudzi Tamakloe
Furthermore, Mr Tamakloe emphasized that nobody is a “second-class citizen” in this country and as such, the silence of some group of people must not be misconstrued. To this end, he concerted that it is the “time” for the Attorney General but revealed that nobody will countenance being disregarded under any circumstance.
“He can go ahead with his highly prejudicial commentaries but he must know that there is time for everything…”
Edudzi Tamakloe
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