NDC Ministers Culpable

Posted: The Daily Guide |Wednesday, 10 March 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The Chief Prosecutor in the Mabey & Johnson (M&J) case in which some senior members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, including Ministers of State, have been indicted, has indicated that there is documentary evidence to support their prosecution.

He said the documents point to their culpability.

John Hardy noted that the prosecution cited bank accounts extract cheques and the like, which supported the bribery allegation against the Ghanaian officials.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE yesterday, Mr Hardy, who is in the country on the invitation of the Danquah Institute (DI), noted that the information was not uncovered by an investigation but revealed to the investigation team by M&J officials.

Unlike the directors and managers of the company who were and are still under investigation in their individual capacities, he noted that the Ghanaian officials were not going to be the subject of prosecution in the United Kingdom (UK).

On the issue of why the prosecution failed to disclose the names and identities of the officials of M&J but chose to code-name them, Mr Hardy, who is an international criminal law specialist, noted that it would have prejudiced any future trial of the individuals involved since they were and are still under investigation.

“For that reason, it was decided not to name them,” he noted.

That notwithstanding, the Chief Prosecutor noted that by the same thinking in explaining the guilt of the company, “it is necessary to know whether they were corrupting officials very much low down at the local level or national figures.”

For this reason, he emphasised that a decision was taken for the case against the company to proceed, irrespective of the stage of development of any investigation against the directors.

Meanwhile, Mr Hardy is scheduled to meet the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to provide it with some basic information which he believes would assist the government and people of Ghana in their investigation of the officials involved.

Considering the fact that he is not in the country on the ticket of the British government, Mr Hardy indicated that he can only share his experience with the Ghanaian authorities and not, as it were, exchange information.

Yesterday, Mr. Hardy delivered a lecture at the British Council Hall in Accra under the theme, ‘Protecting Ghana and Ghana’s Emerging Financial Offshore Centre from Money Laundering.’
He is scheduled to deliver another such lecture on corruption at the K.A. Busia Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, under the theme, ‘International Corruption - How Ghana Can Collaborate with the UK and Others to Beat It.’