Hamza Suhuyini, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team, has stressed the need for strong institutional support for the Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, to effectively prosecute individuals involved in financial wrongdoing, particularly those from previous administrations.
According to him, the scale of corruption that allegedly occurred over the past eight years is too significant to be ignored, and the state must ensure that accountability is pursued to its fullest extent.
In an interview with Breakfast Daily on Channel One TV, on Wednesday, May 14, Suhuyini stated that “nobody under the sun can underrate the rot, corruption that this country was subjected to in the last eight years. We cannot take that for granted, and that is the reason why we should give the Attorney General the needed support to ensure that people are held accountable.”
He further noted that setting a clear precedent of accountability would serve as a deterrent to future government officials, including those appointed under the current administration.
“Even appointees of this Mahama government in their offices will know that if they also mess up and there is a change of government, they will be held accountable. We must set that standard,” he added.
The comments come in the wake of charges brought against Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi for conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically, wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic. The charges fall under Section 23(1) and Section 179a (3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi is alleged to have authorised a $2 million payment in 2019 to Africa Investor Holdings Limited for the development of a Sky Train project in Accra, a project that was never executed.
In response to the charge, Suhuyini urged that full accountability must not be seen as partisan, but as a constitutional obligation and a national standard to prevent abuse of public office.