I take full responsibility; Mahama didn’t direct me to drop cases – Attorney General
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has taken full responsibility for the high-profile cases that have been dropped, insisting that he was not directed by President John Dramani Mahama to do so.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, February 12, to explain the dropping of the seven cases, Dr Ayine explained that the office of the Attorney General came to those conclusions after a thorough professional examination of all the cases.
“I am keenly aware of the need to balance the public interest against the interests and rights of the accused persons.”
Also, as Attorney General, I take absolute responsibility for all the decisions taken so far. I am not under any instructions or pressure to discontinue any case or to bring charges against one. Those who are in a haste to tag the President as a clearing agent should hasten slowly because he is not responsible for prosecutions and has not directed me to drop any case.”
I wish to make it clear that I did not take these decisions lightly. As I indicated above, I consulted widely and reviewed the files diligently before coming to a decision on each of the cases. You would note that in some cases, such as the SSNIT case and the banking cases, I withdrew charges against some of the accused persons while others are under consideration.”
The seven discontinued cases include that of the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, now acting Governor, Johnson Asiama. The Attorney-General withdrew all charges against him after he was implicated in the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank.
The AG also dropped the case brought against former Minority Leader and now Finance Minister Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa in the ambulance procurement deal.
The long-standing trial involving former COCOBOD CEO Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo was also dropped after they were accused of causing GH¢271 million in financial loss through the Lithovit foliar fertiliser scandal.
The Attorney-General also withdrew charges against former SSNIT boss Dr Ernest Thompson and three others accused of financial mismanagement, although some other persons in that case remain on trial.
Former Works and Housing Minister Collins Dauda and four others had their financial misconduct case in the Saglemi Housing project also dismissed through a nolle prosequi.
Activists Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Ama Governor, and others had their cases dropped, reigniting debates on protest rights and political suppression, whereas former NDC Chairman Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Communications Officer Anthony Kwaku Boahen were freed from charges related to a leaked recording allegedly plotting political violence.
