The Adjabeng Magistrate Court presided over by Justice Isaac Addo has threatened to discharge a number of persons accused of allegedly beating some staff of Adom FM if the Attorney-General’s Department fails to submit its recommendations by the next adjourned date, January 28, 2015.
The court says the delay is unfair to both the complainants and the accused persons, and would discontinue the case if the A-G’s office continues to drag its feet.
Isreal Ayeh and Richjoyce Armah, both officers of the Ablekuma Central branch of the National Health Insurance Authority stand accused of allegedly assaulting the journalists when they visited the office to find out why subscribers were having challenges accessing their services.
Adom FM News Editor, Afia Pokua aka Vim Lady and two other reporters, Kofi Assan and Nana Sefa were reportedly assaulted on September 11, 2014 when they attempted to interview Scheme subscribers who complained of delays in registration.
The commencement of the case has since been hampered by the failure of the A-G’s Department to submit its recommendations to the court.
Speaking before he adjourned the case to 28 January 2015, Justice Addo pointed out that only the A-G’s office is mandated to prosecute criminal cases and it would, therefore, be impossible to proceed without the report.
On his part, counsel for the complainants, Samson Lardy Anyenini, expressed worry about the failure of the prosecution and the A-G to provide the report to the court.
According to him, the delay in the adjudication of the case may encourage other persons to assault journalists and believe they can get away with it.
But a former Attorney-General, Nii Ayikoi Otoo said everything should come to a standstill until the Attorney-General tenders in the advice.
“I don’t think the judge should do that, every prosecution is done at the instance of the Attorney-General so I don’t see why he is threatening to discharge the case”.
He said it is illegal for any court to discharge any case without waiting for the advice from the attorney general.
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