General News of Thursday, 15 March 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

Stop politicising corruption cases – Emile Short

Emile Short Emile Short

Former head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice Emile Short has called on Ghanaians to desist from politicising corruption cases.

The call comes on the back of claims by the Ashanti regional branch of the NDC that the suit leveled against former CEO of COCOBOD Dr. Stephen Opuni is a political witch-hunt.

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice Gloria Akuffo has charged Dr. Stephen Opuni and one Seidu Agongo for causing financial loss to the state to the tune of GHC217 million. The trial of the two will begin on March 23.

In spite of the publication of the charges, the Minority in Parliament has described the suit as a desperate attempt by the government to justify their allegations of corruption against Dr. Opuni.

“In all the accounts, you can see clearly that it appears to the Minority that this is a desperate attempt by the NPP government to hold Opuni accountable for his administration in ways that impugn criminal motive over everything that he was doing at COCOBOD.

“Even before the charges came, there have been a consistent attempt to paint Opuni as a dangerous criminal who superintended over the affairs of the COCOBOD, to be able to give meaning to the various accusations made against him, they have come out with these charges,” Tamale Central MP Inusah Fuseini noted in an interview with Starr News.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Thursday, Justice Emile Short urged Ghanaians to be calm and ensure that due process is followed in the trial.

“The politicization of corruption cases is not the best. It is important that we follow the due process of law. I don’t doubt the President fighting corruption. He has put in place the office of the Special Prosecutor to help in the fight against corruption. That is a plus”.