The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has stated that political appointees who breach the Code of Conduct will not only be dismissed but may also face criminal prosecution if their actions warrant it.
He made the comment in a side interview on Monday, May 5, 2025, shortly after President John Dramani Mahama had launched the Code of Conduct for Political Appointees in Accra.
Dr Ayine noted that the President has been clear on the need for appointees to conduct themselves properly, and those who fail to do so will face the consequences.
“If you breach the Code, you get disciplined,” he said. …if there are other consequences flowing from your conduct, that will also be looked at,” he added.
He explained that if an appointee’s conduct involves criminal wrongdoing, the matter will not end at dismissal.
“It should be possible, if criminal conduct flows from what you have done, for the Attorney-General to pick up the matter and ensure that the courts impose the necessary criminal sanctions,” Dr Ayine said.
The Attorney-General stressed that enforcement of the code will not be selective.
“I have said it several times, and I will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute anybody who is an appointee of this government who crosses the line,” he said.
Dr Ayine also questioned the fairness of a system where only officials of past administrations are prosecuted while those in current positions are spared.
“It doesn’t make sense that past appointees will be prosecuted, and then present appointees will go scot-free. That means you are just deferring their prosecution, and it doesn’t make sense,” he said.
He urged his fellow government officials to maintain discipline and avoid misconduct.
“The straight and narrow path that has been defined by the President must be the one that we should all walk. I don’t want to have the unpleasant duty of having to investigate my own colleagues,” Dr Ayine stated.
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