Public anger over prosecution delays is legitimate ; gov’t paying for its own political promises made –Dr Osae-Kwapong

Dr John Osae-Kwapong, who is with the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), says the increasing frustration with the delay in prosecuting claims of corrupt practices under the past leadership is justified, and primarily due to the political pledges by the current government.

During the Newsfile on JoyNews’ on Saturday, October 11, Dr Osae-Kwapong stressed that the government is now facing the repercussions of promises made during the campaign to Ghanaians while in opposition that created the expectation of immediate legal actions when he assumes power.

Dr Osae-Kwapong made it clear that “The public is simply demanding what the NDC promised while in opposition, even though they were fully aware that prosecutions are not cast in stone and must follow due process.” In the view of Dr Osae-Kwapon, the fight against corruption has both legal and political implications but the current administration looks to have underestimated the importance of the latter.

He explained that “In the fight against corruption, the public doesn’t see due process. Unless you’re following a case closely, reading news about adjournments and filings, nobody sees that. But everybody sees the politics of the fight against corruption, the statements you make, the assurances you give Ghanaians. That’s where you  win or lose the public’s confidence.”

Dr Osae-Kwapong drew to attention that under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, it was appeared to have lost the anti-corruption battle because he took “an extremely legalistic stand,”demanding fair treatment.  This was a stance that did not connect with the general public’s expectations of immediate justice. He termed it as irony where by some of the same individuals who have previously predicted who would go to jail are now encouraging patience and respect for legal procedures.

He said that “So isn’t it intriguing that now you have some of the voices that were so certain of who was going to go to jail saying, ‘We have to respect the process, we have to allow institutions to work’?” Dr Osae-Kwapong highlighted that while the government may now be ensuring procedural Justice and its previous statements did not prepare the public for the complexity and slowness of legal proceedings.

Dr Osae-Kwapong made it clear that “When these same voices now talk about respecting the process, you can understand why the public is justifiably frustrated, because in their engagements with the public, nobody ever said these things take time, that the wheels of justice grind slowly.”

He maintained that the current dilemma of the government is a lesson in political communication because managing expectations is as critical as serving justice directly.

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