Motivate State Attorneys With 10% Of All Booties Retrieved

Private legal practitioner, Kofi Bentil, says state attorneys are not properly motivated to go after stolen state monies.

According to him, giving 10% of retrieved state monies to the prosecuting attorney will motivate the attorneys to push harder.

“…if I know I will be given $100,000 if I go after $1million, I will be motivated to do so,” Mr. Bentil said on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme, Saturday.

He noted, the poor conditions of service of the state attorneys create a potential hazard that could compromise the lawyers.

“…imagine one underpaid state attorney going after stolen $10million, why won’t he be given a $100,000 and the case will end there,” he said.

“…we need to understand the moral stress and temptation that our attorneys come under…because the work is very difficult and if they don’t do it well the whole nation losses,” he added.

Kofi Bentil also suggested that some of the prosecutions be left to private legal firms to do since that will lessen the burden on the state attorneys whose department is understaffed.

Bentil’s comments come a day after former top government appointee, Abuga Pele, and businessman Philip Assibit, 6 years and 12 years respectively, by an Accra High Court for numerous counts including causing financial loss to the state.

The duo was indicted for infractions caused during contracts relating to the GYEEDA programme in the erstwhile John Mahama-led government.

Lawyers for Mr. Pele have not spoken to the press but the businessman’s lead counsel has noted that his client will appeal the conviction.

Watch: Abuga Pele, Assibit convicted over GYEEDA rot...Long overdue?

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com| Oswald K Azumah