Accra, Ghana//-The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has officially withdrawn all charges against Dr Johnson Asiamah, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the immediate past chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), and abandoned the controversial ambulance purchase case.
Dr Asiamah, along with several others, had been facing a range of charges, including fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, conspiracy to commit a crime, and violations of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Act since 2020.
In the case of the collapse of UT Bank, the second deputy governor was charged alongside five others, including the bank’s founder, Prince Kofi Amoabeng. The other accused persons were Raymond Amanfu, UT Holdings Ltd., Catherine Johnson, and Robert Kwesi Armah.
In the UniBank case, however, former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, his son Dr. Kwabena Duffuor II—who was the CEO of UniBank before its collapse—and other executives of the bank were also charged with money laundering.
In a related development, the government has also officially withdrawn all criminal charges against former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the party’s Communications Officer, Anthony Kwaku Boahen.
The two NDC officials were on trial over a leaked audio recording in which Ofosu Ampofo was allegedly heard discussing plans to instigate crimes and create insecurity in the country, with the intent of blaming the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Former NDC chairman’s case
The government also withdrew all criminal charges against former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the party’s Communications Officer, Anthony Kwaku Boahen.
The two NDC officials were on trial over a leaked audio recording in which Ofosu Ampofo was allegedly heard discussing plans to instigate crimes and create insecurity in the country, with the intent of blaming the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The tape reportedly outlined strategies such as kidnappings, arson, and verbal attacks on key public figures, including the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Prof. Emmanuel Asante, and Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa.
Both Ofosu Ampofo and Boahen had been charged with conspiracy to cause harm, but the case has now been dismissed following the government’s decision to withdraw from the trial.
The two had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit assault against a public officer, while Ofosu Ampofo also faced two additional counts of assault against a public officer, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Ambulance purchase trial
Dr Ayine abandoned a quest by his predecessor, Godfred Yeboah Dame to appeal a court of appeal ruling that acquitted and discharged Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa in respect of a charge for causing financial loss to the state.
“PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Republic having previously served notice of appeal to appeal to the Court against the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on the 30th day of July 2024 hereby give(s) you NOTICE that the Republic does not intend further to prosecute the appeal, but that the Republic abandons all further proceedings concerning this matter as from the date of this notice,” the Attorney-General wrote in the document dated January 23.
On July 30 2024, a Court of Appeal upheld an appeal on the Financial and Economic Court’s decision by then Minority Leader and former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
Two others, Seth Anemana, a former Chief of Director, Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, who were standing trial with Dr Forson were also directed to open defence.
Dr Forson and the two were variously charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state to the tune of 2.37 million Euros in the purchase of ambulances, which could not be used for their intended purpose.
The Court of Appeal in its decision on July 30 indicated that the High Court’s decision should be set aside since “the prosecution failed to establish sufficient evidence. The trial judge erred in calling on A1 (Dr Cassiel Ato Forson) to open his defence.
“No positively proven facts. Evidence based on Impermissible speculations. There is no link between the evidence heard and what happened for the third accused to be called to open defence,” the judge noted.
The panel of three justices also acquitted and discharged the accused persons in the case.
