The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, has urged the police to produce report on investigations into the murder of a journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, which occurred in Accra in January 2019.

According to the A-G, Hussein-Suale’s murder in particular was a critical issue that needed swift investigations to help ascertain the motive behind that crime.

“There are perceptions that he was killed on account of the work that he was doing, but that may necessarily not be the case. He may have been murdered due to many other things, but this can only be ascertained through a resolution of that crime,” Mr Yeboah Dame said.

He also called for investigations into all other unresolved murder cases in the country to help ensure that justice is served.

That, the A-G said, was not only relevant to the administration of justice but would also help reduce the crime rate in the country.

Mr Yeboah Dame further expressed concern about the recent spate of domestic violence and murder in the country, citing the latest matter involving a business executive, Prince Charles Dedjoe, and requested the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to provide his office with an update on all such cases.

The A-G made the call when the IGP, Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, and a delegation of high-ranking police chiefs paid a courtesy call on him at his office in Accra yesterday.

The meeting was to discuss pertinent issues affecting the criminal justice system in the country and also find ways to improve security.

Conventional crime

Mr Yeboah Dame said there had been an increase in conventional crime in the country, key among them being the upsurge in secessionist offences.

He, therefore, asked the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service to enhance its investigative capabilities to ensure that anyone who engaged in such offences was brought to book.

Additionally, the A-G urged the CID to take interest in ensuring the detection and punishment of economic crimes in the country.

He made reference to a recent documentary by Joy News on a gold smuggling syndicate and further called for investigations to ensure that perpetrators were brought to book.

Mr Yeboah Dame commended the police for their investigations that resulted in the arrest of kidnappers of the Takoradi girls.

“Indeed, it was a crime that shook the nation and its resolution was anchored in solid investigations by the police. Investigations into that matter were top notch and it is only appropriate that both the investigators and the prosecutors are commended,” he said.

Progress

For his part, the IGP said the CID had made progress in terms of investigations into many of the unresolved murder cases in the country.

On the murder of Hussein-Suale, he said, the police had made some inroad, but said due to the sensitive nature of the case, it was not prudent to put such information out in the public domain.

With respect to the recent upsurge in domestic violence, Mr Oppong-Boanuh stressed the need for the country to have a rethink about how such cases were treated.

“Traditionally, people think that spousal abuse should be normal.In some communities, people think it is an expression of love, but that is so wrong and has to change,” he said.

The IGP encouraged victims of spousal abuse to report such matters to the police in order to reduce their occurrence in the country.

Mr Oppong-Boanuh called for further collaboration between the police and the Attorney-General’s Department to help address challenges in Ghana’s criminal justice system.