Law lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has challenged the legality of the search conducted on the residence of the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison.
According to Prof. Appiagyei-Atua, the manner in which the search was carried out raises critical legal and ethical questions that must be addressed to ensure accountability and transparency in law enforcement procedures.
The search, which took place on Wednesday, March 19, was carried out by operatives of the National Security.
In defense of the operation, the Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Justice Srem-Sai, stated that the search was conducted lawfully, in accordance with Ghanaian legal provisions regarding searches and seizures.
He asserted that the authorities involved had followed the necessary legal framework, and therefore, there was no cause for alarm.
However, speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, March 22, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua pushed back against this defense, arguing that the legality of the operation could not simply be taken at face value without further clarification.
He insisted that the Deputy Attorney General had a duty to provide a more detailed explanation of the legal basis for the search, including the exact process by which authorization was obtained.
“The Deputy Attorney General would have done us a lot of good by confirming how the legality of the searches came about. If he went to a particular magistrate court to secure the search warrant because if he is talking about the legality of the search that happened at the former Bank of Ghana Governor’s home, one of the key legal requirement will be obtaining the search warrant from a court and if that is established, then what is the scope of the search warrant?
“The processes involved should also be transparent because we have seen accusations of theft and misdemeanors committed by the team that went to conduct the search and the whole issue about the CCTV equipment being taken away. That is also a big issue.”
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