Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dominic Ayine has issued a firm warning to all government appointees, emphasizing that any breach of conduct will be met with strict enforcement measures, including investigation and prosecution where necessary.
Speaking on the enforcement of the code of conduct for political appointees, Ayine highlighted that sanctions are a key tool in maintaining discipline within the government.
He said “In terms of enforcement, as he(President) himself has put it, there are various ways of enforcing the rules. One way is to ensure that sanctions are applied. Sanctions will be imposed for breaches of the code of conduct for political appointees.
“As he clearly stated, without missing any words, if you breach the code, you will be disciplined, and your appointment will be terminated.”
When asked whether termination of appointment alone suffices as a punishment, Ayine clarified that additional consequences could follow “Of course, if there are other consequences flowing from your conduct, those will also be looked at,” he explained.
He elaborated that if criminal conduct is involved, the Attorney General’s office will take appropriate legal action to ensure that the courts impose necessary criminal sanctions.
“It is not enough to simply terminate someone’s appointment,” Ayine said adding “If criminal offenses arise from their actions, prosecution will follow.”
When again pressed on whether he would be willing to prosecute a fellow government appointee, Ayine responded with a resolute affirmation.
He emphasized “I have said that several times, and I believe I have the full support of the President on this matter. The President has made it clear: do not cross the line. If you do, sanctions will follow, including legal action.”
“I will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute anybody who is an appointee of this government who crosses the line”, Dr. Ayine told reporters at the Launch of the Code of Conduct held in Jubilee House.
Ayine emphasized the importance of fairness in enforcement, noting that prosecuting past appointees while allowing current ones to evade accountability would be unjust.
He stressed “It doesn’t make sense, and for the sake of the public’s sense of fairness, that past appointees will be prosecuted while present appointees go scot-free.
“That means you are leaving room for them to be prosecuted in the future; you are simply deferring their prosecution, which doesn’t make sense. The President always says that we should not conduct ourselves in such a way that forces him to undertake the unpleasant duty of having to fire anybody”.
The Attorney General expressed his reluctance to have to investigate colleagues and fellow appointees.
“I do not want the unpleasant duty of investigating those I work alongside. That is why we must all adhere strictly to the standards set by the President and walk the straight and narrow path.”
Source : www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
