Attorney General defends “stringent” bail terms for ex-appointees facing probes
By DL News
Published
1 min read
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, Dr Ayine rejected claims that law enforcement agencies were acting unfairly, saying the measures were necessary to ensure suspects do not abscond while their cases proceed.
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has justified the tough bail conditions imposed on some former government officials under investigation for alleged corruption, insisting they are proportionate to the scale of the offenses being probed.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, Dr Ayine rejected claims that law enforcement agencies were acting unfairly, saying the measures were necessary to ensure suspects do not abscond while their cases proceed.
The Attorney General pointed to ongoing cases involving alleged financial losses running into billions of cedis, arguing that bail amounts must reflect the size of the suspected wrongdoing.
Dr Ayine maintained that the current approach adopted by his ministry and agencies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is lawful, measured and consistent with international practice.
He added that Ghana had never before dealt with corruption allegations of such financial scale, saying this required a firm response.
The Minority in Parliament last week raised concerns about what it described as excessively harsh bail requirements imposed on former officials, warning that some suspects had remained in custody for weeks because they could not meet the conditions.
Parliament is expected to continue its scrutiny of the issue as investigations into major corruption cases progress.
