?13.5bn to implement NRC recommendations

Accra, April 25, GNA - The Government is to release 13.5 billion cedis to the Ministry of Justice to implement the recommendations of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC).

Mr Ayikoi Otoo, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who announced this on Tuesday in Accra during the meet-the-press series, said the difficulty now was how to identify properties recommended for de-confiscation by the NRC to be released.

He, however, pledged that all was being done to identify the properties after which Cabinet would give approval for the names to be published alongside the compensation recommended.

Mr Otoo said by middle of May 2006, the issues of releases and compensations would be started to pave way for the take off, adding that money was now available to start.

The Minister also announced that the Domestic Violence Bill would be presented before Parliament after it resumed from the Easter break to deliberate on without the clause on Marital Rape.

He explained that at the Cabinet level where policies were approved, the marital rape was crossed out from the bill "but this does not mean Parliament could not discuss the issue (marital rape) when deliberating on the bill".

Mr Otoo said a committee set up to investigate the alleged wrongdoings of Mr Ansah-Asare, the then Acting Director of the Ghana Law School, had presented its report, which was being considered by the General Legal Council which might publish a white paper by next month.

On challenges of the Ministry, Mr Otoo said it was facing manpower constraint because of the competition with the private sector so efforts were being done to have more innovative strategies for attracting and retaining attorneys for its legal service had started.

He also mentioned that transportation and accommodation facilities to house the various departments and agencies under the Office of the

Attorney General had become a big concern to his outfit.

He said when the Law House Project an 8.5 million dollar 10-storey building currently under construction was completed it would provide adequate accommodation and good working environment for all the staff.