Cabinet Approves Special Tribunals to Fast-Track Corruption and Illicit Wealth Cases

The government has taken a significant step towards combating corruption and illicit wealth accumulation with the approval of special tribunals to handle such cases.

Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu announced that Cabinet has given the green light for the reintroduction of special tribunals, which will focus on cases linked to the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative and other cases involving illegal wealth.

Speaking to Newsmen, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu explained that the move is aimed at addressing delays in the judicial system and ensuring that corruption-related cases are handled more efficiently. “Cabinet has approved the reintroduction of the tribunal system, which, in any event, is in the Constitution,” he said.

The special tribunals will be tasked with handling cases involving the government’s anti-corruption agenda, including those related to the ORAL initiative. Mr. Kwakye Ofosu emphasized that the tribunals will help to reduce the backlog of cases in the regular courts and ensure that justice is served promptly.

The announcement has been welcomed by many, although some anti-corruption advocates have expressed concerns that the government is moving too slowly in pursuing corruption-related cases. Mr. Kwakye Ofosu responded to these criticisms, pointing to several actions taken by investigative agencies since the Attorney General assumed office, including the seizure of assets worth 1.5 billion Ghana cedis and the prosecution of several high-profile cases.

He emphasized that once cases are filed in court, the pace of proceedings is determined by the judiciary, and not the executive. “When a case goes to court, not Mr. Domelevo or any of the critics can determine how the judge conducts the case,” he said.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stressed that the government’s responsibility is to build strong cases and present them to the courts, as the executive cannot control the speed at which judges handle cases.

He acknowledged that delays in the judicial system are a long-standing concern, but insisted that the reintroduction of the tribunal system is one of the measures the government is pursuing to address the issue.

The reintroduction of the special tribunals is expected to boost efforts to combat corruption and illicit wealth accumulation in Ghana, and to restore public confidence in the government’s commitment to fighting corruption.

Key Developments:

– Cabinet approves reintroduction of special tribunals to handle corruption and illicit wealth cases
– Tribunals will focus on cases linked to Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative and other cases involving illegal wealth
– Government emphasizes that pace of proceedings is determined by judiciary, not executive
– Reintroduction of tribunal system is one of measures to address delays in judicial system