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Deputy Special Prosecutor-nominee, Ms Cynthia Naa Koshie Lamptey, has called on the government, through the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, to cap the number of times a judge can adjourn a case.

The deputy special prosecutor-nominee told legislators who vetted her yesterday on her nomination.
According to Ms Koshie Lamptey, her 29 years of working experience as Prosecutor and in other capacities showed that adjournment of cases were being used as ploys to delay cases.

“Mr Chairman, most lawyers are paid attendance fees in court, thus they deliberately opt for adjournments to cash in from the client, hence making justice delivery expensive,” she revealed.

“For timely, smoothly, cost effective, reliable and efficient delivery of justice, the number of times a judge can adjourn per case should be capped,” the deputy special prosecutor-nominee reiterated.

When asked by a member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament whether she can work in harmony with her boss who is known to be very temperamental, Ms Lamptey answered in the affirmative, saying: “I have worked with him before and so I know how he works and who he is. You study the person and you know the person is temperamental so you also find ways to cooperate with him so that the work can be done.”

She, therefore, assured the committee that she was prepared to undertake all roles assigned to her by her boss, Mr Martin Alamesi Benz Kieser Amidu, in order to ensure the success of the office, when approved by Parliament.

According to the former state prosecutor, her knowledge of Mr Amidu’s work ethics makes it easy for her to be able to work with him effectively without much problem.

“Thankfully, I worked with him when he was deputy Attorney General and when he became Attorney General too I worked with him. He is a workaholic so if he gives you work and you do it that is it. I wouldn’t sit here and go to an office where I will be given work and I wouldn’t do it. Because one day when he is not there, the work comes to you as the deputy. So I will do everything that I’m asked to do,” Ms Lamptey.

Responding to another member on whether she will ever compromise her stands and principles when pressed upon by the powers-that-be, she told members she will never compromise her stands or yield to any pressure.

“I believe I have been nominated by the President to this august position based on my previous works, and nothing will let me destroy the very thing that has brought me to this far,” she firmly indicated.