Woyome case: Ghana needs independent prosecutor – Nduom

The leader of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has added his voice to calls to decouple the office of the Attorney General from the Ministry of Justice.

According to him, the partisan posture of the ministry is not helping in the fight against high profile corruption.

Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Betty Mould-Iddrisu has also pushed for a completely independent and separate Attorney General’s Department. She argued that there are “weaknesses” in the AG’s department as it is currently.

In her view, just as has been done in some African countries such as Kenya, Namibia among others, Ghana must strive to separate the office of the AG’s Department from the Justice Ministry to ensure its independence.

Nduom reiterated the call after businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome was acquitted and discharged in the Gh¢ 51.2 million judgement debt case Thursday.

“The High Court ruling on the Woyome case confirms the need for what the Progressive People's Party has been advocating for: Amend the Constitution to separate the Office of Attorney General from the Ministry of Justice to shield it from the negative effects of partisan politics and put in place an Independent Prosecutor,” the politician-cum-businessman said via his Facebook wall.

“We must all join in this and make it an all-inclusive crusade against corruption. Enough talk. Let's act.”

A presiding judge of an Accra High Court, Justice John Ajet-Nassam freed Woyome after a three-year legal marathon. In his ruling he flayed the state prosecution for failing to call former Attorney-General, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, Rex Magnus Danquah, Ebo Barton Odro, Paul Asimenu, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh and others who all had given written opinion that Woyome was entitled to the claim.

He ruled that there were inconsistencies in the evidence led by the prosecution's witness hence Woyome did no wrong.