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14.04.2004 General News

Desperate Moves By Gov't To Jail Victor Smith

14.04.2004 LISTEN
By The Lens

Investigations revealed that government is leaving no stone unturned to ensue that Victor Smith, Special Aide to President Rawlings is given a jail sentence as part of the Kufour regime's paranoid, fear-driven desperation to cripple President Rawlings.

In furtherance of this objective, all manner of covert maneuvers are being employed, including attempts to get the judiciary to hasten the pace of the case in a particular direction. The major stumbling block thankfully, appears to be the judge's determination to stand true to his conscience and his refusal to be politically teleguided.

In view of the fact that the Kufour government has proven that it would do whatever it takes to get the kind of verdict it wants the courts to pass, people who are informed about the latest machinations are particularly concerned that the Kufour regime would resort to those arm twisting tactics that they have resorted to in the part to get the verdict they desire.

It would be recalled that when the former Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Company, Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, obtained a ruling at the Supreme Court declaring the establishment of the Fast Track Court unconstitutional, Mr Kufour, who was then in far way, Australia, directed that all efforts be made to secure a reversal of the verdict.

Indeed, on his return he immediately packed the Supreme Court with new Judges, and succeeded in securing a reversal of the verdict.

Readers may also recall the manner in which an accused person who was properly remanded into custody by a court of competent jurisdiction was released from custody on the orders from the executive arm of government, apparently because the remand of the accused person is not the kind of ruling the executive wanted the judiciary to pass.

Little wonder a few days later a court was supposed to have granted the accused person bail. Indeed, the judge hearing the application for bail would have been very naïve to refuse the accused person bail when it is clear that securing the release and freedom of the accused person is what the government desires.

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