Indicted GYEEDA companies won't be prosecuted -AG
The Attorney General’s Department (AG) has hinted that it might not prosecute any of the persons or companies involved in the GYEEDA scandal.
Advertisement
According to the AG, there might be no need for prosecution since the companies involved have pledged to refund the monies that were illegally paid to the state.
RLG Communications, Asongtaba Cottage Industries and Craftpro have all committed to refund some 55 million Ghana Cedis to the State.
According to Citifmonline.com, the Deputy Attorney General, Domnic Ayineh said prosecution would only take place when there is substantial evidence to establish that the crime has been committed.
“To prosecute somebody, you should have evidence of criminality and what crime have they committed by simply entering into a transaction that has been declared.”
Mr. Ayineh further stated that the AG’s department will only prosecute the respective companies if the investigations carried out by the AG’s department, “throws out any act or conduct of a criminal character”
“We certainly shall be looking at the possibility of taking criminal action against the company or the directors or shareholders of the company,”Mr. Ayineh added.
According to him, the EOCO and other agencies of the Attorney General’s Department are still investigating the issue.
“As we speak, they are interrogating directors, shareholders, of the beneficiary companies so until that are done, and we have established acts of criminality.
In Mr. Ayineh’s opinion, the companies should not be simply dragged to court because the public says so.
“I don't think that we should jump to the conclusion that necessarily because moneys were paid out of government coffers, criminal conduct was engaging.I think this is the problem that we have because public perception is that once any money has been paid, there is either corruption or bribery, but we need to establish beyond reasonable doubt that this is the case before we can go to court. We are not going rush to court because the public is pushing for these people to be prosecuted. We have to change the way we do business at the attorney general’s department. We won’t drag ordinary citizens names into the mud just because the public wants us to do so,” Mr. Ayineh said.