NPP will resist propaganda trials – Kweku Kwarteng

Wednesday, 17 March 2010 08:50

Written by Dorcas Efe Mensah, myjoyonline.com

The NPP says it is determined to fiercely resist politically motivated prosecutions of government appointees who served under the Kufuor administration.

The party said it is following with keen interest, the current agitation within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the for the persecution of ex government officials. Recently, Attorney General (A-G) Betty Mould Iddrisu has come under harsh criticisms from members of her own party for not having proescuted corrupt officials of the previous administration.

This follows the NDC’s campaign promise to bring to book all past officials who were believed to have involved in financial malfeasance while in office.

But more than a year after taking office, the A-G has yet to successfully prosecute anybody for economic crimes.

This has caused for her, disaffection of both party supporters and some bigwigs of the ruling party who have called for her dismissal.

In view of this, NPP Communications Director Kweku Kwarteng on Tuesday issued a statement stating that any unjustified prosecutions based on the falsehood the NDC churned out about the corruption in the previous government just to win votes from Ghanaians will be resisted.

According to him, the NPP believes that state institutions must be allowed to work without any interference, adding that “if former appointees, through due process, are legitimately found to have involved themselves in unlawful conduct,” they must [be made] to face the full rigors of the law.

Mr Kwarteng insisted that investigations of corruption should not be limited to members of the immediate past government but also those who worked under the (NDC 1) administration.

This, he said, is due to the fact that there are many cases involving appointees of the former NDC administration (some of whom are subjects of the Auditor General’s findings) that require further action.

“We are opposed to the manipulation of the state’s security services and judicial system to persecute appointees of the former NPP government in response to useless agitation from gullible sections of the NDC who have believed the falsehood churned out by their party leadership in the last electioneering campaign,” the statement said.