The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has indicated that the joint declaration by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Judicial Service demonstrates an intense commitment to the fight against corruption in the country.
The Public Relations Officer of the GBA, Saviour Kudze, says the collaboration signifies a renewed dedication to the battle against corruption and related activities.
“I’m using the word renewed because all along, they’ve been collaborating. They’ve been committed to the course of fighting corruption and corruption-related activities. This is the way we think we should go,” he said.
He added, “We should collaborate. We should learn to engage each other rather than go in the way we normally do. But this is also to stress the point that this doesn’t take away the fact that court rules and procedures must be observed.”
On Wednesday, December 27, the Judicial Service of Ghana and the Office of the Special Prosecutor officially committed to suppressing corruption through collaborative law enforcement and ensuring fair hearings for all stakeholders in the criminal justice system.
This commitment followed concerns raised by Ghana’s Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng, over unfair rulings on suspected corruption and corruption-related cases.
According to Mr Agyebeng, the court is displaying disregard for his office’s powers with what he perceives as hasty dismissiveness of its cases.
He argued that judges prohibiting the successful prosecution of politically exposed cases spell doom for the country.
However, following engagements with various stakeholders, including the Ghana Bar Association, the two institutions highlighted the vital roles of the Judiciary and the OSP in combating corruption and corruption-related activities.
