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AN ACCRA based legal practitioner has chastised the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) over its attempt to re-arrest some suspected drug dealers who were granted bail by an Accra Magistrate Court last week. Drama unfolded at the premises of an Accra Magistrate Court when fully armed BNI officials stormed the facility ostensibly to re-arrest the suspected drug dealers who had been granted bail by the court of competent jurisdiction. Reports say just as the drug dealers were about to leave the court after being granted bail, officials of the BNI wielding offensive weapons made their way to the entrance of the building to protest against the court�s decision and re-arrest the suspects. Speaking on Kessben Fm, lawyer Kwame Akufo slammed the move by the BNI, describing it as an affront to the country�s democratic principles and the rule of law. He said that though the BNI is a recognized state institution, it has no constitutional right to demean the ruling of a competent court of jurisdiction by ordering the re-arrest of suspects that have been granted bail. The renowned lawyer did not mince words when he noted that the BNI�s action amounted to subversion of the powers and authority of the court in question, stressing that it constituted gross disregard for rule of law. Lawyer Akufo emphasized that the BNI�s decision must be condemned by all and sundry since it was a recipe for lawlessness in Ghana, a development which the nation has fought and continues to fight against. He explained that the BNI had taken a major step backwards in the country�s tireless efforts to respect the rule of law and the right of the judicial system to dispense justice in the supreme interest of the nation. He said although the revised edition of the criminal code stipulates that drugs offences are not bailable, the constitution also states categorically that there is no offence that is not bailable apart from treason. In view of this, the legal practitioner said it was important that the citizenry including the BNI accept the fact that all laws in the country cannot work in unison but in line with the spirit and tents of the constitution. Against this background, Lawyer Akufo indicated that if the BNI had any reason to contest the verdict of the magistrate court, it ought to have gathered fresh evidence then challenged the court�s decision rather than using jungle tactics to get its way. He noted that the country has moved on from the days of the military era where the rule of law was downplayed and the wishes of the powers that be reigned supreme therefore everyone should be willing to respect the tenets and spirit of the rule of law so that Ghana will be a safe haven for all.