Counsel for former National Signals Bureau Director-General, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, has accused the Attorney General of shaping public opinion against his clients before their case was brought before the courts.
Lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea argued that public statements made by the Attorney General at the outset of the matter created the impression that the accused persons were already guilty, despite not having appeared before a court at the time.
“I have to tell you that it was the Attorney General who concluded that before they were arraigned before a court of law, my clients were guilty,” he said.
According to Mr Atta Akyea, a widely publicised press conference convened by the Attorney General appeared to suggest that the evidence against the accused was overwhelming and that they should consider pursuing plea bargaining arrangements.
“If you pay regard to the well-choreographed press conference at the instance of the Attorney General, he was so clear that they better come for plea bargaining because of the kind of evidence he has against them. The Attorney General was a prosecutor and then the judge at the same time,” he stated.
Mr Atta Akyea further contended that the manner in which the allegations were presented to the public through the media generated unfair prejudice against the accused before the prosecution had the opportunity to prove its case in court.
“This is what they sold to the press and then they had to now come to court and prove the matter beyond reasonable doubt,” he added.
Speaking on Citi FM on Wednesday, June 3, Mr Atta Akyea maintained that the evidence emerging during the court proceedings differs significantly from the public narrative that has surrounded the case since the allegations first surfaced.
“There has been a lot of poison in the media space already, but the story in the court is different,” he said.
His comments come as Mr Adu-Boahene remains on trial over allegations that he misappropriated GH¢49.1 million in state funds linked to the procurement of cyber-defence software for the state.
The case continues before the courts as prosecutors seek to establish the allegations against the former intelligence official.
