Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo says Ghana’s fight against corruption is being hindered not only by powerful lawyers but also by judges who deliberately help accused persons to drag cases until a change in government stalls the prosecution.
In an interview on the KeyPoints on October 25, Domelevo said corruption suspects often secure judges who continuously adjourn proceedings until a new administration enters office and discontinues the case.
“They can even procure judges. A judge may say: ‘What I can do is to keep adjourning until your party comes to power, then the case will be thrown out,’” he alleged.
He argued that Ghana will not defeat corruption until the justice system itself is reformed.
He proposed a maximum of 9 to 12 months for corruption cases, with penalties for judges who exceed that period without justifiable reason.
He believes judges who stretch cases beyond a year should face misconduct proceedings. Domelevo also called for a 24-hour justice system to speed up prosecution.
He noted that over 800 lawyers were recently called to the Bar and could be recruited as part-time judges to hear cases in the evenings.
“We all don’t have to go to court at 9 a.m. and close by 3 p.m. A 24-hour economy should start in the Judiciary too,” he said.
He insists that justice delayed affects recovery of stolen money that should be serving taxpayers.
“The money is still in someone’s pocket and not in use. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said, urging Parliament to treat reforms as a certificate-of-urgency matter.
