A member of the NDC Communications team, Theophilus Dzimega, has rejected the NPP's claim that Attorney General Dominic Ayine cannot be trusted to independently investigate the latest bribery allegations surrounding the AKSA Energy Power Project.

The NPP has questioned Dr Ayine’s credibility to lead the investigation, arguing that some persons who could come under scrutiny may be politically connected to the governing NDC.

Speaking onJoyFM’s Top Story on Thursday, August 13, the private legal practitioner dismissed the concerns as baseless and without merit.

“The allegations are baseless, unfounded and without merit,” he said.

His comments followed a press briefing by the NPP at its headquarters in Accra, where Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah said the party had no confidence in the Attorney General to independently investigate or prosecute persons connected to the AKSA deal.

• Read also: We don’t have confidence in AG to independently probe AKSA energy deal – NPP

Mr Dzimega challenged the NPP’s criticism of the Attorney General over plea bargaining, arguing that the party should first explain its own position on ongoing plea negotiations involving its former Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

He said Mr Awuah, who is involved in the matter, should have provided details of those negotiations before criticising the Attorney General's handling of plea bargains.

Mr Dzimega also defended the Attorney General’s cooperation with US authorities in the case involving Asante Kwaku Berko, arguing that such cooperation demonstrated the government's willingness to pursue the matter.

“The Attorney General, we are told, had cooperated with the US authorities in the apprehension, the prosecution and extradition of this young man. And now you say the Attorney General lost credibility to undertake such an exercise of this nature,” he said.

He further pointed out that Mr Berko was appointed during the NPP administration and questioned why the opposition was now doubting the Attorney General's credibility to investigate the case.

Mr Dzimega also defended Dr Ayine’s decision to discontinue some criminal prosecutions, citing the Attorney General’s constitutional powers.

He referred to the Supreme Court’s decision in the case involving Gregory Afoko, arguing that entering a nolle prosequi falls within the Attorney General’s powers.

“I wish you should go back and read a bit of the decided cases, particularly the one involving Gregory Afoko, where the Supreme Court says that the entry of nolle prosequi was firmly within the remit of the Attorney General's powers,” he said.

According to him, prosecutorial decisions must take into account public policy, public interest, security considerations and the likelihood of securing a conviction.

Mr Dzimega also rejected the suggestion that the Attorney General lacks the credibility to investigate politically sensitive allegations.

He said President John Mahama’s administration had introduced a code of conduct for government appointees as part of efforts to prevent corruption.

“President John Dramani Mahama has enacted a code of conduct for his appointees, and this government is determined to make sure that it is not tainted with any form of corruption,” he said.

He therefore questioned who else should lead the investigation if the Attorney General is deemed unfit to do so.

Mr Dzimega accused the NPP of preempting the outcome of the investigation and urged the party to allow the Attorney General to carry out his constitutional mandate.

“If it is within the remit of the Attorney General to do, he squarely has the ability and the capability to do it,” he said.