Former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has criticised what he describes as “strange conduct” by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Office of the Attorney General over the alleged denial of access to his clients, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, Abdul-Wahab Hanan, and his wife, Faiza Sayyid Wuni.
The couple were reportedly re-arrested by EOCO shortly after the Office of the Attorney General discontinued charges against them, citing fresh evidence.
However, their legal team says they have since been denied access to them for over 24 hours following the re-arrest.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews Prime, Mr Dame said he and his team do not know the whereabouts of their clients despite efforts to locate them.
According to him, lawyers were present at EOCO’s offices from about 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. but were not granted access.
“It is so reprehensible. I do not know what EOCO and the Attorney General are afraid of or seek to achieve by this strange conduct,” he said.
He questioned the basis for the re-arrest after the state had withdrawn the charges, noting that the accused persons had already appeared in court prior to the discontinuation of the case.
“So why would they arrest them, throw them into custody without bail and without access to their lawyers?” he queried.
Mr Dame further argued that denying legal access undermines fundamental rights, stressing that the right to legal representation is guaranteed to all persons whose rights are affected.
“The right to legal representation is a basic fundamental right. It is not one to be taxed for. It avails every citizen, in fact every person resident in Ghana, to legal representation when his rights are infringed,” he said.
He also referenced earlier public statements by the Attorney General prior to the filing of charges, indicating that those allegations formed the basis of the prosecution.
According to him, recent developments suggest difficulties in the prosecution’s handling of the case over the past year.
Source: adomonline.com
