The Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has expressed criticism of the Attorney General’s (A-G) response to the allegations made by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng in his report on illegal mining activities.
He indicated that the A-G cannot expect cooperation with the former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIM) when it continuously makes ridiculous statements about the professor.
The Office of the Attorney General recently declared that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report lacked sufficient substantiated evidence to prosecute the individuals mentioned.
For that reason, it directed the police to clear those individuals mentioned, except for those still under investigation.
The MP, who disagreed with the position of the Attorney General, indicated that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was a material witness in the matter because of his role as the chairman of the interministerial committee responsible for the galamsey report.
He argued that the A-G should have used the accounts of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng as prima facie sufficient for the prosecution to begin.
“The reason why I describe Professor Frimpong-Boateng as a material witness in this matter is the fact that he was the chairman of this interministerial committee that handles this program and submitted this damning report. So the content of the report should serve as a prima facie sufficient for the prosecution to commence.
“If you make a lot of ridiculous public statements about the person who submitted this evidence, do you think that he will cooperate with you?” he stated.
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor further challenged the AG to provide the public with the evidence that Professor Frimpong-Boateng provided during his interrogation.
“The A-G said the evidence that Professor Frimpong-Boateng submitted is not sufficient to even trigger prosecution; the question is, what was the nature of the evidence that Professor Frimpong-Boateng provided?
“The professor in this matter ought to be the material witness for prosecution, and so when you have a material witness in a matter such as this, you have sufficient evidence to proceed to court,” he added.
He explained further “Who a material witness, such as a person whose account will determine the fate of the case, at all costs? That is why, in law, if you fail to call a material witness, it injures your case.”
Source: ghanaweb.com
