Attorney General Demands Missing Files Investigation

The attorney general is calling for an investigation into the alleged theft of confidential documents from her office as well as the offices of state prosecutors.

Betty Mould-Iddrisu said her office is taking steps to plug possible loopholes in the justice ministry.

“We were conducting investigations with the view to initiating prosecution against firms and certain individuals in Ghana. And unfortunately, the draft charge sheet and some other documentation have found their way into the Ghanaian media, and have now in fact been put on the websites of certain Ghanaian media organizations,” she said.

According to the attorney general’s office, the missing documents include an unfinished charge sheet with various charges it was contemplating bringing against the EO Group, a Ghanaian oil exploration company.

The EO Group is a partner of the oil exploration firm Kosmos, which together with Tullow Oil Company are developing the Jubilee oil Fields in Ghana. Attorney General Mould-Iddrisu said there is need to ascertain how the files were stolen.

“I have no idea the documents in question went missing from actually the prosecutors’ offices, not my personal office. However, other documentation, which have found their way into the media were extremely confidential documents which were in my office also and they have gone missing,” Mould-Iddrisu said. Details of the missing files were reportedly posted on the websites of some Ghanaian media organizations.

Ghana’s media reported that the stolen documents have a charge sheet indicating 25 charges leveled against the EO Group and its directors.

The charges include causing financial loss of several billions of dollars to Ghana’s National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), money laundering and conspiracy to forge official documents.

Mould-Iddrisu said there is need to beef up the security at the justice minister.

“I think it is important to know what is happening and take steps to plug any loopholes or leaks that I may have in my own office and in the offices of the prosecutors. Certainly, we are going to tighten up our security and I’m already taking steps to put in place even more enhanced security in my own personal working area and also within that of the prosecutors,” Mould-Iddrisu said.