Attorney-General urged to allow Police to prosecute all cases
Mpraeso (Eastern Region) 24 July 2001
A Circuit Court Judge, Mr Justice Charles Gyau Asiedu has called on the Attorney - General and Minister of Justice to allow the Legal Department of the Police Service to prefer charges against murder suspects to ensure speedy trial.
He, therefore, urged Parliament and Human Rights Lawyers to review the law which, empowers the Attorney-General's Department to be the sole agent to prefer charges against murder suspects, which, he said, delay trials.
Mr Justice Asiedu made the call at Mpraeso Circuit court when four suspects on provisional charge of murder, who have been in prison custody for 17 months without being charged, appeared before him and had to be sent back to prison custody because the Attorney General's Department has not advised on the appropriate charges to be preferred against them.
He said due to the inadequate personnel at the Attorney General's Departments, dockets of suspects on murder and narcotic cases spent between four and five years before they were released to the Police for prosecution.
The Circuit Judge said, though the suspects were granted court bail, they found it difficult to get sureties.
He, therefore, called on the Justice Minister to allow the Police to work on the dockets of such suspects to ensure speedy trial and justice in the country.
GRi /
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