Excuse my office from murky waters of politics – Plateau Attorney-General warns

The Plateau State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Chrysanthus T. Ahmadu Esq. has warned politicians in strong terms not to drag the office of the Attorney General into the murky waters of politics.

Mr. Chrysanthus T. Ahmadu Esq disclosed in a statement made available to CAPITAL POST in Jos which he personally signed, stating that the attention of the Attorney-General of Plateau State, Mr. Chrysanthus T. Ahmadu Esq. has been drawn to a press statement by the PDP Legal Adviser, Binchen Jantur, issued in reaction to a Court of Appeal decision in a matter involving two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a case emanating from the PDP primary election in Langtang North Local Government in Plateau State.

He said: “In the said statement, the PDP Legal Adviser insinuated that there was something unusual in the decision of the Office of the Attorney-General of Plateau State taking over a case instituted without following due process, by Direct Criminal Complaint, because the Case was between 2 PDP Members.

“Certainly, those said comments by the PDP Legal Adviser must have been made in ignorance of the facts of the matter.

“Let it be known that the Office of the Attorney-General is yet to receive any official complaint by the PDP in respect of its decision to take over the case in question, a clear indication that the party and its candidate realized the wrongfulness of its action in the manner the direct criminal complaint was instituted.

“For the record, the Office of the Attorney-General upon complaints by aggrieved citizens of the State routinely takes over criminal cases filed in Court where the investigation of such complaints shows the improper and indiscriminate use of the Criminal prosecution machinery of the State to short-circuit the due process of Law.

“As regards the Case in question, instituted by one Nanmi L. Joseph against one Augustine Timkuk before the Chief Magistrate Court 1, West of Mines Jos for alleged Perjury, upon the receipt by the Office of a Complaint of improper use of the judicial process the following findings, were made

“That the Complainant and the Defendants were Candidates in the Primary Election of the PDP held in Langtang North of Plateau State.

“That even though the Offence of Perjury alleged against the Defendant is an offense against the State, the Charge was neither filed by the Attorney-General’s Office nor the Commissioner of Police, contrary to Section 120 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Plateau State.

“The Complainant a Private citizen filed the Charge without a Report of Investigation by the Police and without obtaining the Fiat of the Attorney-General as required by Law.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Attorney-General of Plateau State took over the said Case, like many others before it, where Direct Criminal Complaints are frivolously filed even in purely Civil Cases including even disputes on Title to Land, under his powers under Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution, out of a sense of duty and in the public interest to prevent abuse of the judicial process by Citizens who are always quick to employ Criminal Process in a bid to settle purely Civil Disputes.

“Consequently, and in the light of the foregoing, the Attorney-General of Plateau State wishes to call on all Politicians not to drag the otherwise non-partisan Office of the Attorney-General into the murky waters of Politics, as doing so has the potential to undermine Public confidence in the revered Office with grave implications for Public Order and the Rule of Law.”