Nigerian Lawyers To Defend Jailed Ministers

Two human rights lawyers from Nigeria are helping lawyers of the former Ministers jailed in connection with the Quality Grain scandal to file an appeal against their sentence. The former Ministers are Kwame Peprah (pictured) and Ibrahim Adam. Other International Human Rights lawyers from the UK, South Africa and Nigeria, have also expressed interest to come and observe proceedings at the Fast Track Court during the hearing of the appeal.

These were announced by Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, NDC MP for Lawra-Nandom constituency when answering questions at a news conference to explain the visit of an NDC delegation to Nigeria between October 4 and 8, 2003.

Dr Kumbour said the lawyers were fascinated by the use of the “Law on causing financial loss to the State” to imprison the former Ministers of state when the Presiding Judge said in his judgement that this is not a case of stealing.

The NDC delegation went to Nigeria to sensitize, inform and educate the media, the public opinion leaders among others, on the serious political and human rights and rule of law development in Ghana. The mission was borne out of the fact that Ghana and Nigeria are recognized as role models in promoting democracy and the rule of law in the sub-region.