The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is to provide information to the United Kingdom, in the next few days, on its competence to make a request for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA). This is in response to a request made by the UK Central Authority through the Attorney General's Department for CHRAJ to provide the information. The Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Justice Emile Short, explained that the information sought, related to its functions and competence in investigating corruption, trans border crime, and particularly, its investigations of the current Mabey and Johnson (M&J) affair that had implicated some government officials. MLA is the formal way in which countries request and provide assistance to each other in criminal investigations or proceedings in trans-border crime. Last Tuesday, February 9, 2010, the Daily Graphic reported the inability of the CHRAJ to proceed with the M&J bribery allegations because it had not received the relevant documents regarding its request for MLA from the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in its investigations of the matter. The documents form the basis of allegations made against some government officials in the country. Mr Justice Short did not agree with the claim that the Government, through the Attorney General's office, was not pushing hard enough for the relevant information on the M&J affair to be furnished. He explained further that the MLA was governed by specific legislation and guidelines that had to be complied with before a country could access the assistance. He expressed confidence that after the CHRAJ had provided information through the AG's Department to the UK Central Authority, their request for the relevant documentation would expeditiously be dealt with to bring closure to the investigations. Meanwhile, a press release, signed by Justice Short, said, "Further to our press release dated 8th February 2010, the Commission has today received some communication from the Attorney General's Department in which the UK Central Authority is asking the commission to provide further information relating to its competence to make a request of mutual legal assistance from the UK. The commission is, therefore, in the process of providing the information requested to the Attorney General to be passed on to the UK Central Authority. We are informed that the UK Central Authority will deal with our request expeditiously as soon as this further information is provided." On the recent deaths of two inmates at the Ashaiman Police Cells in Accra on Monday, Mr. Justice Short said it was indicative of the congestion in most of the country's cells and prisons that had been highlighted over and over again by the CHRAJ. He said the incident reinforced the urgency for the 'Justice for All programme', an initiative of the AG's Department, under which cases of remand prisoners were speedily dealt with. He said CHRAJ would continue its advocacy for inmates in cells and remand prisoners so that public agencies with the duty of ensuring the rights of all were protected took action. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana