Balance anti-corruption fight with individual rights – Dr Osae-Kwapong to Special Prosecutor
A Political Scientist and Fellow at CDD-Ghana have emphasized the need for the Special Prosecutor to strike a balance between the fight against corruption and safeguarding individual rights.
Dr. John Osae-Kwapong acknowledged the complexities of governance, pointing out the necessity of reconciling different aspects of the governance system to chart a course of action, such as combating corruption.
He made these comments in a discussion on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 2, 2023.
“This is the complexities of ad governance, right, okay. You have different parts of the governance system that someway somehow ultimately you have to reconcile, to be able to pick a particular course of action, which is, for example, fighting corruption.”
This discussion followed frustrations expressed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, during a press conference the previous week. Mr Agyebeng lamented challenges from the judiciary in his efforts to prosecute corruption-related cases.
The Special Prosecutor highlighted his concerns, stating, “I do not intend to sound as though I am predicting doom.”
“However, with this development, it would not be long before a suspected murderer or armed robber would boldly walk to court with the unthinkable prayer that the court should injunct law enforcement agencies from investigating him,” on November 29.
But while acknowledging the importance of the anti-corruption fight, the CDD-Ghana Fellow stressed that individuals accused of corruption should not be denied their rights under due process.
According to Dr. Osae-Kwapong, it is crucial to find a way to reconcile the pursuit of justice with the protection of the rights guaranteed to individuals.
“My point is that in as much as I believe in the fight against corruption, the person that you accuse effect of these things also does have certain rights. And so you can’t just say that because I am charged with fighting corruption and therefore, it should deny the other person, whatever rights that they are also guaranteed under due process, right, you have to find a way of reconciling,” he said on JoyNews.
Source: Ghana News
