Lawyer and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has strongly criticized Attorney General Dr. Dominc Ayine Akurintinga’s decision to discontinue seven corruption-related cases.
Hon. Baffour Awuah argued that discontinuing these cases deprived the judicial system of the opportunity to convict or acquit the accused based on merit. He said;
“I am of the view that he should have allowed that prosecution to come to an end so that if anybody was innocent, you’ll be acquitted and discharged. And if anybody was found guilty, that person would have been convicted and sentenced. That would have been proper deterrence and also emboldened the Attorney General to prosecute new prosecutions. That way, Ghanaians wouldn’t have seen the Attorney General to be a partisan Attorney General.”
Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah MP for Manhyia South
He emphasized that such deterrence would have served as a warning to the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, ensuring they do not repeat similar offenses.
Hon. Baffour Awuah expressed his deep disappointment with the Attorney General’s approach, stating that it undermines Ghana’s efforts to combat corruption. He emphasized;
“I use these words very advisedly and with a very heavy heart accompanied by a heavy tongue because I’m speaking about Dr. Ayine, who’s a good friend of mine, who I respect a lot, whose brains are right. But his actions on this occasion, I think, are not proper for the fight against corruption. It weakens his hand when it comes to the fight against corruption.”
Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah MP for Manhyia South
Hon. Baffour Awuah further suggested that the Attorney General’s decision gives Ghanaians the impression that he is only interested in prosecuting non-NDC members while sparing those affiliated with the ruling party. He warned that this could erode public confidence in the government’s commitment to fighting corruption.
According to him, the Attorney General discontinuing these seven cases and proceeding to investigate suspected cases, especially the 36 cases drilled down by the Oral Committee, will amount to him not administering justice fairly.
He questioned whether Ghanaians would still view the Attorney General as impartial if the 36 new cases resulted in convictions, given the perception that previous cases were dropped due to political considerations.
The Case of Dr. Johnson Asiama
Hon. Baffour Awuah cited the case of Dr. Johnson Asiama, arguing that the decision to drop charges against him while others remain on trial raises concerns of political favoritism.
“He is the only one whose charge was withdrawn. So, one of the charges against him is conspiracy. Now, is he saying that he could not conspire with the others? If he couldn’t have conspired with the others, why is it that those against whom a charge of conspiracy was leveled, together with Dr. Asiama, are still standing trial?”
Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah MP for Manhyia South
He also mentioned that some people believe the decision to withdraw cases against certain individuals was influenced by political revenge.
According to Hon. Baffour Awuah, the true test of the Attorney General’s fairness is not the source of complaints but rather the pattern of prosecutions. He argued that if the Attorney General only pursues non-NDC members, suspicions of bias would be confirmed. He said;
“If he goes after an NDC member, then we’ll know that he’s going to be a balanced Attorney General. If he decides not to go after an NDC member but a non-NDC member, then clearly, our suspicion is confirmed.”
“The evidence is there. The evidence is his filing of nolle prosequi in the cases, which you’ve already cited. The evidence is the filing of the withdrawal in the case of Dr. Johnson Asiamah. We don’t need any further evidence.”
Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah MP for Manhyia South
The Attorney General’s Promise of Clarification
Despite the growing criticism, the Attorney General has promised to address the media to provide further clarification. Government spokespeople have also defended the decision, arguing that many of the cases were frivolous and politically motivated.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General noted earlier that he was going to be addressing the media and giving us an update, and the clarifications of some of these corruption cases.
Hon. Baffour Awuah, however, remains skeptical about the Attorney General’s ability to fairly pursue corruption cases in the future, citing the inconsistency in handling past prosecutions. He concluded with a strong proverb in Twi to illustrate his concerns. He asserted;
“There’s a proverb in Twi that says, ‘You say you are going to punish theft, but you have taken up the trade of selling caskets.’ The Attorney General says he’s coming to prosecute matters of corruption, but he’s the one freeing people who have been accused of corruption. Will that be sincere?”
Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah MP for Manhyia South
Hon. Baffour Awuah’s remarks reflect a growing concern over the government’s approach to handling corruption cases and the perception of political bias in the Attorney General’s decisions. Whether the upcoming prosecutions will restore public confidence remains to be seen.
