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The lead counsel for named suspects in the controversial Mabey and Johnson bribery allegation is raising red flags over the possibility of his clients being subjected to double jeopardy.
Nana Ato Dadzie told Joy News his clients are already under investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and with the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) now cleared by an Appeals Court to continue investigating the same matter, there is the possibility that his clients will concurrently be investigated by two statutory institutions on the same matter- a situation he said was unacceptable in law.
He was however quick to state that his clients were innocent and were ready to subject themselves to any investigative body the state so chooses to probe them.
His remarks came hours after the Appeals Court Thursday quashed an earlier decision by a High Court which barred the CHRAJ from investigating the case in which Messrs Kwame Peprah, Alhaji Baba Kamara, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique, Alhaji Amadu Seidu, Brigadier-General Lord Attivor and Dr Ato Quarshie were alleged to have been compromised by the British construction firm Mabey & Johnson Limited during its operations in Ghana between 1993 and 2006.
The High Court upheld an application of bias filed by the suspects in which they accused then Commissioner of CHRAJ, Emile Short for making prejudicial comments on the matter on a private television station-Metro TV.
Not satisfied with the ruling by the High Court, the commission proceeded to the Court of Appeal whose ruling on Thursday overturned the earlier one by the High Court.
Nana Ato Dadzie said he respected the decision by the Appeals Court but would soon meet with his clients to explore other legal remedies at their disposal.
He said it was too early to state whether they would proceed to the Supreme Court to seek to overturn the Appeals Court ruling or not.
He was however categorical that his clients were innocent and were ready to clear their names.
Retired Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Francis Emile Short was happy with the Appeals Court verdict but said he would not comment any further on case before CHRAJ.
The acting Commissioner Anna Bossman also told Joy News she was happy with the ruling, adding the Commission would meet with its lawyers to decide the next line of action.
Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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