President John Dramani Mahama has stated that if former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta does not return to Ghana to stand prosecution, the allegations against him will harm his reputation as well as those of his children and grandchildren.
Speaking on Friday, July 17, at the Reset Tour and Citizens’ Engagement in the Volta Region, President Mahama promised Ofori-Atta a fair trial and encouraged him to return to Ghana.
“Whatever it is, if he is brought back, he would have justice. We believe in the Judicial system of our country. He will have the best of lawyers to defend him.”
“But if he doesn’t come back, then it means he leaves a cloud of doubt over his head forever, and over his children and grandchildren. So, we’ll see how things play out,” he said.
The President recalled Ofori-Atta’s self-description as a “father of children,” stressing that he should demonstrate such fatherly responsibilities by returning to Ghana.
“You held the most sensitive position as finance minister and at the point when your own members of parliament, 80 of them signed an application that the president should remove you, you said something historic, you said you are like the father of children and that you can’t run away and leave your children,” he stated.
“So if we Ghanaians are your children, we are calling you, we are begging you, father come back, your children are calling you to come back,” he continued.
He wondered why somebody who thought they had done nothing wrong would flee the nation and not want to come back to confront the accusations made against them.
During the nationwide cleanup, President Mahama visits the Korjor drain and directs the prompt disposal of trash.
“If you are a man of principle and you believe you have done nothing wrong, I don’t see why you should flee your own country,” he remarked.
Additionally, President Mahama stated that the extradition procedure must adhere to the law and respect the individual’s rights.
He clarified that the procedure necessitates the filing of a formal request and a ruling by a court in the nation where the person is residing as extradition includes another jurisdiction.
“The person has a right to take a lawyer, go before a judge, and if he doesn’t want to come, he will argue against coming. And your point too must be made that he is needed because he has done this and that,” he reiterated.
According to President Mahama, the Attorney General’s Department has already started the process of obtaining Ofori-Atta’s extradition by submitting the required application and supplying the extra paperwork that was asked for.
“The Attorney General’s Department has done its best, it filed the application, there are some additional documents that were asked for that it is filing and eventually it will all go before an American judge to make a decision,” he said.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has accused the former Finance Minister of corruption and offences related to corruption; he is currently outside of Ghana.
Source: newsthemegh.com