Private legal practitioner and member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alex Gyamfi, has publicly taken on Ghana’s Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, accusing him of abandoning the very human rights principles he once boldly championed.
Speaking on Asaase Radio’s ‘The Forum’, Gyamfi expressed disappointment in what he sees as Ayine’s troubling silence and inaction in the face of recent pre-trial detentions and questionable legal practices under his watch as Attorney General.
“I am opposed to pre-trial detentions and the most disappointing thing is that these things are happening under Ayine. He is one of the proponents of human rights, taking his own party on [for such actions],”Gyamfi lamented.
Referring to recent developments involving heavy-handed legal actions and perceived abuse of bail conditions, the outspoken lawyer questioned the constitutional commitment of the current legal regime.
“What has happened to the 48-hour rule, to the extent that the Director of EOCO, a journalist, can ask you to bring 50 million Ghana cedis as part of bail conditions — if not to show people who they are?” he quizzed.
Gyamfi further cautioned his own party faithful to remain vigilant and not assume immunity in the face of political power.
“The things we are complaining about today are not like they had never happened before. So, if you are an NPP person and NDC is arresting you, why wouldn’t you be conscious?”
While making it clear that human rights violations have a history beyond any single administration, Gyamfi maintained that the current Attorney General’s failure to act or speak up betrays the very values he once stood for.
“On a fairer note, what has transpired doesn’t give me confidence that we are in a secured democracy. No sane person will agree to what is happening,”he stated.
