JoyNews’ Newsfile host Samson Lardy has questioned the treatment of suspects in corruption investigations, warning that arrests and investigations must not become punishment before trial.
Lardy raised particular concerns about the Economic and Organised Crime Office’s handling of officials and lawyers connected to the Power Distribution Services (PDS) investigations.
“When investigations become pre-trial punishments, the integrity of an anti-corruption campaign is measured not merely by how many people you investigate or how dramatic your arrests are, but by how you treat the accused under the law,” he said.
He cited the detention of Philip Kwame Asare Ayesu in April, saying he was held for two days and given GHC100 million bail.
“Yes, that was arbitrarily doubled from GHC50 million within a couple of days,” Lardy said, noting that the bail had initially been GHC50 million.
He said the issue raised questions about how anti-corruption institutions exercise their powers while pursuing investigations.
According to Lardy, the fight against corruption must be conducted in a manner that protects the rights of accused persons and respects due process.
