Private legal practitioner Kwame Owusu-Danso has criticized comments by NPP communicator Kofi Tonto regarding the arrest of Miracle Aboagye, describing the arguments as “very dangerous” and a threat to the rule of law.
According to the lawyer, no public official or political appointee should be shielded from investigation merely because they served in government.
Reacting to Kofi Tonto’s comments via a zoom interview on Kessben TV’s Digest show, Owusu-Danso questioned whether it was acceptable to suggest that individuals accused of wrongdoing should avoid arrest simply because they held political office.
“If someone in government is found to have engaged in illegal acts, that person should be arrested,” he argued, adding that public office does not grant immunity from accountability.
The lawyer further questioned whether the Attorney General should continue pursuing cases that allegedly lack merit at the expense of taxpayers, asking whether Kofi Tonto was suggesting that government officials should never be called to account for their stewardship.
He also warned against what he described as “hooliganism” by political supporters whenever arrests are made, insisting that such conduct undermines the country’s justice system.
Drawing comparisons with previous high-profile prosecutions, Owusu-Danso stated that Miracle Aboagye is “not more human” than other former public officials who were investigated and prosecuted in the past.
He maintained that if the state believes an individual failed in their stewardship while in office, investigations should be allowed to proceed. If the suspect is eventually cleared of wrongdoing, he said, the person has every right to seek legal redress for unlawful detention.
Owusu-Danso also revealed that Miracle Aboagye had previously honoured invitations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), suggesting there may have been reasons for the airport arrest that are not yet known to the public.
He concluded that Ghanaians should allow due process to take its course rather than politicizing criminal investigations, stressing that the rule of law must apply equally to everyone.
By Maurice Otoo
