Accra July 30, GNA - The Attorney General's (A-G's) Office is considering the next step to take, following the acquittal and discharge of Kwabena Amaning a.k.a. Tagor and Alhaji Issa Abass's in the MV Benjamin cocaine case.

A cursory look at the basis for the acquittal and discharge of the two indicate that it is imperative to critically assess the entire process that led to their prosecution and subsequent conviction, a statement from the A-G's Office said in Accra on Thursday.

The statement signed by Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, Attorney General and Minister of Justice said the attention of the A-G's had been drawn to the huge public debate provoked by the acquittal and discharge of Amaning and Abass by the Appeal Court, following their conviction in 2007 for narcotic offences.

She said the Appeal Court judgment mentioned possible violations of the individual liberties of the two as the basis for the acquittal, stating that the trial was flawed in as much as the tape recording, which was the prosecution's major piece of evidence, which did not directly implicate or incriminate Amaning and Abass.

According to the statement, the Appeals Court also raised questions about the quality of the investigations into the MV Benjamin saga and the loss of 77 parcels of cocaine as well as investigations that followed the appearance of the tape recording at the home of ACP Kofi Boakye. The Attorney General's Office will consider these issues as it seeks to bring an objective conclusion to this matter.

"We respect the judgment of Ghanaian courts and especially appreciate the detailed arguments contained in the Appeals Court judgment. We shall study these in depth since it will form the basis of our decision on whether to appeal the ruling or not," the statement said.

The statement said: "It is the government's primary aim to ensure that every citizen of Ghana is given a fair hearing in matters of criminal prosecution and this office will strive to maintain due process.

It is important to note that the narcotics trade is of particular concern to Ghanaians. Government therefore has the primary responsibility to ensure that due process and the most stringent means are employed in investigation and prosecution of all suspects. "Criminal elements, particularly self-confessed drug barons should not be allowed to walk the streets freely. Should this happen, it will send the wrong message particularly to the youth who were their unwitting targets."

"The Attorney General is determined to ensure that Ghana complies with best practice in terms of investigation and prosecution of cases involving narcotics," it added.

"We will consider critically the issue of wealth acquisition vis-=E0-vis the payment of taxes as deterrent to those hiding behind the cloak of business to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth. Ghana lives among the comity of nations and we cannot allow this country to deteriorate into a haven for criminals which might ward off potential investors."