The Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana must step in and call some of the judges to order. All offences are bailable, and bail conditions must not be outrageously set to punish suspects.
Public office holders who have stolen from us must face justice. But when we see justice, we know it. And when we see drama, we know it. What we want is justice, not drama.
In the United States, many high-profile cases are adjudicated in a couple of weeks. Our election petition hearing or suits against the EC in election years are concluded in a matter of a few weeks. I see no reason why we cannot resolve high-profile corruption cases in two months.
Corruption is a serious issue, and the Chief Justice can help us deal with these cases swiftly. Set up special courts and resource them to sit continuously on these cases. Don't give lawyers of the accused thieves room to needless drag the process. If prosecutors are not ready with everything needed for trial, they should also not waste the courts' time.
We can change the narrative. We can hasten things up. If the accused are innocent, they should be set free. If they are found guilty, let's put them in jail. Their lawyers can appeal.
That is more useful than the outrageous bail conditions that come with outcries, and after that, nothing is heard.
The drama must end. Using bail as punishment must cease. Let swift prosecution begin. That's what Ghanaians need. That's what the alleged thieves deserve.
Ghanaians need swift prosecutions, not unending slideshows of useless drama.
UPDATE: My attention has been drawn to the fact that the law does not permit the Chief Justice to interfere in the affairs of the judges while they are performing their judicial duty, which I believe is a good principle.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!