Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Advisor at Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has called for major reforms to the way corruption cases are investigated and prosecuted in Ghana, saying the Sedina Tamakloe case has exposed weaknesses in the country’s criminal justice process.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Barker-Vormawor said prosecutors should play a more active role in reviewing investigations before charges are filed.
“I am very concerned about the ways in which we go from investigation to formulating a charge and prosecuting,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with the United Kingdom, he explained that prosecutors there work closely with investigators to determine whether available evidence meets the threshold for criminal charges before cases are taken to court.
According to him, Ghana needs a similar approach to avoid cases collapsing because of weaknesses in investigations.
“I think there’s a serious capacity defect in the way in which we construct these issues,” he stated.
Barker-Vormawor said the issue goes beyond politics and requires institutional reforms to strengthen investigations into white-collar crime.
“We can do all the political wrangling, but it’s a serious problem at heart that we have to deal with,” he added.
He argued that the Court of Appeal’s decision in the Sedina Tamakloe case should serve as an opportunity to improve investigative standards rather than deepen political divisions.
