The Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has thrown a political bombshell on the floor of Parliament, alleging that President John Dramani Mahama knows individuals engaged in illegal mining and challenging the Attorney-General to obtain a formal statement from the President, if the government is genuinely committed to fighting galamsey.
Speaking during the closing sitting of Parliament before the House adjourned sine die, Mr. Afenyo-Markin accused the government of applying double standards in its fight against illegal mining, insisting that President Mahama’s own public remarks suggest he possesses information that ought to aid investigations.
Citing the President’s address to Organised Labour at Jubilee House in March, this year, the Minority Leader said President Mahama openly admitted that members of his own political tradition were involved in illegal mining activities and merely switched political allegiance whenever a new government assumed office.
“President Mahama stood before Organised Labour at Jubilee House and he was candid. He said he does not ‘kid’ himself that his own people are free of galamsey, describing how illegal operators simply switch loyalty whenever a new government arrives,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin recalled.
He argued that the President’s own admission should have prompted immediate action by the Attorney-General and other state investigative agencies.
“That is the President’s own account. Not ours. It tells us he knows names, or at least, he knows networks. Yet as of today, the Attorney-General has not even taken a statement from the President to learn who these people are. No investigation. No prosecution,” he asserted.
According to the Minority Leader, the government’s response to the President’s comments sharply contrasts with the speed with which state institutions have pursued cases involving members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Drawing a comparison, Mr. Afenyo-Markin referred to the prosecution of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, arguing that the Attorney-General had acted with remarkable speed in that case, while allegedly ignoring the President’s own remarks on galamsey.
“Now compare that to the treatment of Bernard Wontumi, the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman. The same Attorney-General moved with remarkable speed to secure his conviction, in a case that itself raises real questions,” he stated.
He maintained that the contrasting approaches exposed what he described as selective justice in the country’s law enforcement system.
“One case crawls, because the names might be too close to home. Another moves at lightning speed, because the target wears the wrong colours. That is not the rule of law.
“That is the discriminatory use of the power of the state, and it is dangerous, in any democracy, anywhere. Justice must be blind. Not selective,” the Minority Leader declared.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that the alleged selective application of justice extended beyond the fight against illegal mining.
He cited the recent acquittal of former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer, Sedinam Tamakloe, questioning the Attorney-General’s handling of the appeal and expressing a lack of confidence in the country’s chief prosecutor.
“We have seen a hurriedly written press statement suggesting the Attorney-General intends to appeal the decision. The same Attorney-General who did a terribly poor job in defending the interest of the Republic at the Court of Appeal? No, we don’t have a shred of confidence in the current Attorney-General and his deputy,” he said.
The Minority Leader also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the constitutionality of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, describing the institution as an important safeguard against corruption.
However, he cautioned that the Attorney-General’s constitutional power to discontinue criminal prosecutions must not be abused to shield politically connected persons from accountability.
“That power must never become a shield for the connected and a sword for the powerless. We will be watching. Ghanaians are also watching,” he warned.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin further criticised the suspension of the computerised case allocation system and alleged that special arrangements had been made for certain judges to hear cases involving members of the opposition during the legal vacation.
He claimed these developments reinforced the perception that justice was being administered differently depending on political affiliation.
“It is now one system of justice for NDC members and a different one for NPP members,” he alleged.
The Minority Leader concluded by urging the government to ensure that the fight against illegal mining and corruption is pursued without fear or favour, insisting that all persons, regardless of political affiliation, must be subjected to the same standards of accountability before the law.
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