A Corruption Watch investigation has uncovered how unidentified persons have been staging frequent break-ins at the offices of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General in Accra.
The incidents have resulted in concerns about tampering with the integrity of the prosecutorial processes as well as the security and safety of the officers of the A-G’s department.
According to Corruption Watch sources, one of the topmost officers affected is the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Attakorah Obuobisa.
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Since April 23, 2018, Corruption Watch sought to speak with officials of the Ministry, including the Minister, to no avail. Last week, the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Madam Gloria Akuffo told Corruption Watch through her assistants that she cannot speak on the matter at this time because of “a tight” calendar.
The break-ins
In March this year, 2018, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was burgled. In that incident, the burglars took away one laptop computer and one printer.
The laptop computer was in use at the time but it is unclear the sort of documents and programmes that were installed on the computer and whether they have any consequences on cases that the Attorney-General’s office is prosecuting or studying.
According to our sources, there have been further break-ins at the offices occupied by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Justice and a state attorney as well as the Drafting Department.
In the chief director’s office break-in, a television set was stolen. A state attorney also had her office burgled, losing one laptop computer. In the last incident that Corruption Watch has become aware of, the drafting office lost a total of three laptop computers in two incidents.
Together, five laptop computers, one printer and a television set are the items that the burglars have taken away so far in the series of break-ins.
Informants say the unknown perpetrators usually do not tamper with the doors and windows during their operations.
Generally, security at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General is lax as visitors can walk into offices in the ground floor or loiter in the precincts without queries.
Security company sacked
Meanwhile, the private security company that was in-charge of the Ministry of Justice at the time has been disengaged after two of its staff were picked up by the Ghana Police Service in connection with one of the incidents.
The company, Thomas Security Company Limited (T.S.S.L.), which has its headquarters at the Awudome Estates, declined an interview on the matter.
However, George Tuffour, Deputy Managing Director and son to the Managing Director Thomas Tuffour, called Corruption Watch to confirm that their guards were picked up by the police in connection with a theft case.
He said the case didn’t travel beyond the security guards giving their statements to the police. But he confirmed that the company’s contract with the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General was terminated some months ago as a result of the theft case.
By Frederick Asiamah, Corruption Watch Investigative Journalist
Writer’s E-mail: [email protected]
