The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye, has accused Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, of pursuing what he described as a deliberate agenda to secure the release of officials and allies linked to the governing National Democratic Congress.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, July 31, Mr Boakye argued that recent prosecutorial decisions and court developments point to a consistent pattern in the handling of corruption related cases involving former NDC appointees.
The NPP official anchored his argument on the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre Chief Executive, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu. According to him, the ruling reinforces earlier fears that cases involving former NDC officials are being systematically dismantled.
“It has become the modus operandi of this Attorney General. It was an agenda well-conceived to free all their people.”
Henry Nana Boakye
From the party’s perspective, the MASLOC case was not an isolated development. Instead, he argued that it has always been a part of a pattern that emerged since the current administration assumed office.
Mr Boakye contended that several prosecutions inherited by the Attorney General has either been discontinued or weakened through decisions that favoured accused persons connected to the governing party. He insisted that those development raises legitimate questions about the direction of public prosecutions.
Turning to previous criminal proceedings, the National Organiser cited the SSNIT financial loss case involving the former Director General, the Board Chairman and other accused persons. He argued that the Attorney General entered a nolle prosequi after the court ruled that the accused has a case to answer.
According to him, such decisions deprive the courts of the opportunity to determine the matters on their merits. He therefore questioned why prosecutions would be withdrawn after judges had directed accused persons to open their defence.
The NPP official also referred to the UniBank criminal trial, which involved allegations of financial losses running into billions of cedis. In his assessment, the prosecution followed a similar course after the court had ordered the accused persons to begin their defence.
Additionally, Mr Boakye mentioned the Saglemi Housing Project prosecution and the COCOBOD criminal trial as further examples of cases the Attorney General has either discontinued or handled differently from public expectations.
The National Organiser emphasised that the cumulative effect of those decisions had created public doubt about the government’s commitment to prosecuting corruption cases without political considerations.
He argued that the Court of Appeal’s decision in the MASLOC matter did not come as a surprise to the opposition because the party believed the outcome aligned with an existing prosecutorial approach.
Opposition Lists Previous Cases To Back Prosecution Claims
The New Patriotic Party expanded its criticism of the Attorney General by pointing to a series of discontinued prosecutions which it believes demonstrate a consistent approach to criminal cases involving former National Democratic Congress officials.
Continuing his address, Henry Nana Boakye argued that the Attorney General’s decisions should be viewed collectively because they present what the opposition considers a recurring pattern across several high profile prosecutions.
Speaking on the SSNIT financial loss case, the NPP National Organiser recalled that the trial court directed the accused persons to open their defence before the prosecution was discontinued. He argued that the decision prevented the judicial process from reaching its natural conclusion.
Mr Boakye further cited the Saglemi Housing Project prosecution involving former Works and Housing Minister Collins Dauda together with the COCOBOD criminal proceedings. He argued that the handling of those cases strengthened the opposition’s belief that the Attorney General was abandoning prosecutions involving members of the governing party.
Returning to the MASLOC case, the NPP official indicated that the Court of Appeal’s decision fits the pattern the party consistently criticised over recent months. He therefore insisted that the opposition’s position is unchanged throughout the legal process.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions to file an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
In a statement issued after the judgment, the Attorney General explained that the state remained dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal’s decision, which overturned convictions on 78 counts including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
The statement further disclosed that the Republic has opposed the appeal before the Court of Appeal through written submissions and remained confident in the merits of its case.
The Attorney General’s Office also confirmed that it would seek a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal judgment while the Supreme Court considers the intended appeal. According to the statement, the government is committed to pursuing the matter through the judicial process.
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