A law lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, has questioned the legality of the search conducted at the residence of former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison.
Prof. Appiagyei-Atua argues that the manner in which the operation was carried out raises serious legal and ethical concerns that must be addressed to uphold accountability and transparency in law enforcement.
The search, executed by National Security operatives on Wednesday, March 19, has sparked debate over due process.
However, Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Justice Srem-Sai, has defended the operation, stating that it was conducted lawfully and in accordance with Ghana’s legal provisions on searches and seizures.
He asserted that the authorities involved had followed the necessary legal framework, and therefore, there was no cause for alarm.
However, speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, March 22, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua pushed back against this defense, arguing that the legality of the operation could not simply be taken at face value without further clarification.
He insisted that the Deputy Attorney General had a duty to provide a more detailed explanation of the legal basis for the search, including the exact process by which authorization was obtained.
“The Deputy Attorney General would have done us a lot of good by confirming how the legality of the searches came about. If he went to a particular magistrate court to secure the search warrant because if he is talking about the legality of the search that happened at the former Bank of Ghana Governor’s home, one of the key legal requirement will be obtaining the search warrant from a court and if that is established, then what is the scope of the search warrant?
“The processes involved should also be transparent because we have seen accusations of theft and misdemeanors committed by the team that went to conduct the search and the whole issue about the CCTV equipment being taken away. That is also a big issue.”
