Dr John Osae Kwapong, Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), has defended the Attorney General’s (AG) public engagement on corruption cases, saying it is an important way to keep citizens informed about the government’s anti-corruption efforts.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 29, he argued that while due process is essential, public engagement also plays a key role in shaping perceptions about the fight against corruption.
“The former President Akufo-Addo often said that until you are in trouble with the law, you never truly appreciate the importance of due process,” he noted. “That approach satisfies what I call the legal test making sure that everything is done in a way that protects the rights of the accused.”
Dr Kwapong pointed out that fighting corruption requires passing an “appearance test” by keeping the public informed.
“This Attorney General, I believe, is trying to balance the legal side with the need to demonstrate to the public that efforts are being made. Citizens should be able to judge whether these efforts are in the right or wrong direction,” he explained.
Dr Osae Kwapong warned that while public engagement is necessary, it should not lead to suspects being judged unfairly in the court of public opinion.
“You want to provide information in a way that does not declare suspects guilty before they have their day in court,” he cautioned. “But regular updates help the public reflect on the state of our anti-corruption efforts and what more needs to be done.”
He added that public involvement is crucial, especially when some of the corruption cases involve staggering amounts of money.
“If you listen to the amounts involved in some of these alleged cases, it is quite baffling. Perhaps public engagement will push us to ask what more we can do beyond waiting for a regime to leave office before corruption cases are investigated,” he stated.
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