The Minority in Parliament has accused the Attorney General of prejudicing ongoing court cases by making public statements that label accused persons as criminals before judicial processes are concluded.
Addressing journalists in Parliament, the Minority’s Legal Counsel and Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, said the Attorney General’s recent public remarks about ongoing prosecutions undermine the rule of law and the constitutional right to a fair trial.
Mr. Darko’s comments follow the Attorney General’s description of the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party as “lawless looters” engaged in criminal activities.
The Minority contends that such comments compromise the integrity of the justice system and violate the fundamental principle of presumption of innocence.
“Competent Attorneys General do not prosecute their cases in the court of public opinion,” Mr. Darko stated. “Present your evidence in court and let the judiciary decide. Why take the evidence to the media and destroy people’s reputations before they even have the chance to defend themselves?”
He further cautioned journalists against amplifying what he called a “populist media agenda” being pursued by the Attorney General, arguing that such coverage risks undermining Ghana’s constitutional protections.
“You may think you are doing your job by publishing these statements, but in reality, you are amplifying a violation of the Constitution,” he warned.
Mr. Darko added that such conduct could erode public confidence in the justice system and weaken the nation’s democratic institutions.
The Minority has therefore called for the Attorney General to be restrained from making further public pronouncements on pending legal matters, urging that all prosecutorial actions remain confined to the courtroom.
