“Try Ofori-Atta in Absentia”: NPP’s Ahiagbah Tells Attorney-General
- Richard Ahiagbah, the Director of Communications of the NPP, called on the government to try Ken Ofori-Atta in absentia, if there is a credible case against him
- The top NPP member accused the government of sensationalising the matter with its insistence that Ofori-Atta return to Ghana to face justice
- Richard Ahiagbah said if Ofori-Atta is convicted after he is tried, the government can request that he return and serve his term in jail
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Richard Ahiagbah, the Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), entreated the Attorney-General to take legal action against the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, in his absence, if there is a credible case against him.
The NPP stalwart explained that Ofori-Atta is not obstructing any legal processes and that the government does not need his physical presence in Ghana to prosecute him.
Source: UGC
Richard Ahiagbah's comment comes after the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, said that Ofori-Atta had overstayed his US visa. Dr Ayine said that the visa revocation was a deliberate decision linked to ongoing investigations and not a routine immigration matter.
However, speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Richard Ahiagbah said the government was sensationalising the matter with its insistence that Ofori-Atta return to Ghana.
He insisted that Ofori-Atta had not committed any crime that warranted his return to Ghana, especially when legal proceedings could be conducted in his absence.
He stated that Ofori-Atta is unable to return to Ghana due to health challenges, for which evidence has been provided. He said the government must focus on the substance of the case instead of Ofori-Atta's whereabouts.
“Ken Ofori-Atta has not broken any law. There’s a need for him to come and answer questions. What we know to be the difficulty is that he’s not in good health. Evidence of that is adduced. Now, the government wants to proceed with some charges against him. And the idea is that you still advance without necessarily bringing him here. Ken Ofori-Atta is not stopping anything in terms of legal processes against him."
“So, I don’t see why there should be any hesitation or cry about Ken Ofori-Atta not being in the country. You can deal with the matter. Why is the government not dealing with the matter? They want to sensationalise it, make it about his presence when it doesn’t have to be about his presence; you can proceed. I don’t see the meat of the matter. If you have a charge, proceed,” he added.
Richard Ahiagbah said that the state could ask Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana if he is eventually convicted, so he can serve any court sentence.
“If you convict him, then all of us can say come and serve your sentence. But now, you have nothing against him,” he added.
Source: YEN.com.gh
