LADA Organises Workshop for Police Prosecutors

By Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua

An assistant state attorney at the Attorney-General's (A-G) Department, in the Eastern Region, Mr. Cyril Boateng Keteku, has called for a thorough training of police prosecutors in the country to make them competent enough to handle cases in court.

According to him, some of them do not have the requisite legal knowledge to prosecute cases, adding that "it is for these reasons that sometimes cases are thrown out of court, and, therefore, it is necessary to train them and better sharpen their skills to enable them prosecute properly and efficiently".

Mr. Keteku stated these during a two-day refresher training workshop, organised by the Law and Development Associates (LADA) Institute, for police prosecutors in the region.

The event was intended to build the capacity of police prosecutors in dealing with criminal prosecution, general principles of law and criminal justice.

The workshop which brought about 21 police prosecutors in the region was also meant to improve the relationship between them and the attorneys from the office of the A-G.

Mr Keteku urged the police prosecutors to do due diligence with evidence they provide in court, to ensure that their cases were not thrown out.

"They have the onus duty imposed by law to prove a case beyond all reasonable doubt against accused, and that is why if you are unable to meet that duty regardless of which evidence you put before court, accused may be discharged for lack of evidence."

Mr Keteku asked police prosecutors to 'know' the law of evidence in the light of the Evidence Act, 1975 (NRCD 323), adding that through training they would have that knowledge to enable them know which particular witness to call to give which evidence to support a charge.

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