Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the erstwhile Kufuor administration, Osei Kwame Prempeh, has called for an urgent restructuring at the Attorney Generals Department after allegation that some top officials migh have been compromised in the Woyome scandal.
He said public confidence and trust in the AG’s department to represent the state in prosecuting Alfred Agbesi Woyome for allegedly defrauding the State has dwindled suddenly after Mr. Amidu’s statement on Thursday questioning the quality of state attorneys handling the case.
Martin Amidu claimed the officials representing the state in the Woyomegate scandal pressured him to withdraw a case in court to enable the state pay additional 9 million cedis in final settlement of interests to Mr Woyome, hence doubting their ability to effectively defend the state.
But his successor, Dr Benjamin Kumbour said he has questioned persons implicated in the statement and promised to get to the button of the issue, and ensure justice is served.
However, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday, Osei Kwame Prempeh said the AG’s department is in serious crisis if State Attorneys who are supposed to represent the interest of the country are said not to believe in fighting for the national cause.
He added that given the latest revelations by Martin Amidu, all the State Attorneys on the Woyome case must be replaced by non-partisan, unbiased, incorruptible private legal practitioners.
Lawyer Prempeh explained that anxious Ghanaians gunning for the prosecution of Mr. Woyome have already been prejudiced hence would not see anyone from the AG’s department involved in the Woyomegate scandal as credible.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Nsuta-Kwamang Beposo feared the consequences should the state represented by the Attorneys involved loses the case against Alfred Woyome.
Osei Kwame Prempeh urged the Mills-led administration to assign experienced private lawyers to effectively prosecute the Woyome case in court.
