The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has been urged by President John Dramani Mahama to assist in ridding the courts of alleged corruption.
According to the president, the notion of judicial corruption found in several surveys is concerning and may erode trust in the administration.
The public’s perception of the judiciary has not been favorable, according to a number of surveys. The President stated, “It is our duty to work together to ensure we have a judiciary that is respected,”
When the GBA leadership visited him at the Presidency in Accra on Wednesday, he made this call.
President Mahama believed that in order to guarantee that justice was carried out equitably, the judiciary needed to be honest, accountable, and transparent.
He claimed that the government would “crack the whip” on those who were caught breaking the law and that corruption was the scourge of the nation’s progress.
In order to achieve this, the President called for cooperation between the GBA and the Attorney General’s Department to investigate the potential creation of specialized fast-track tribunals to handle cases involving the theft of public funds.
He said it was concerning that cases like this take so long because people accused of embezzling public monies are investigating the legal system, which undermines deterrence.
“Year in, year out, you hear GH¢ 12 billion misappropriated, GH¢ 15 billion misappropriated, and how we deal with these cases is very difficult because of the constitutional procedures.
“We must have a fast-track court where we are able to deal with this so that we deter people from just misusing government funds like that,” President Mahama stated.
The President disclosed that he had subsequently asked the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice to investigate the best possible legal structure for these courts and asked the GBA to actively participate in the process.
According to the President, “if we can stop the leakage of GH¢ 12 billion a year, we should be able to finish all your courthouses across the regions and districts”.
He emphasized that accountability was crucial for the advancement of the country and urged the Association to feel free to criticize his administration if necessary.
“Like we say in our local parlance, ‘if a person is charting a path, he may not know that it is crooked’. It is only onlookers who can be able to point it out to him. So, we will appreciate whatever feedback you give, and I believe that is how government should be,” President Mahama stated.
“We are not people who have any such animosity towards the judiciary and the legal fraternity,” he said, dismissing rumors of a rupture between his administration and the judiciary. Our doors are therefore open.
Source: newsthemegh.com