By Issah Olegor
In a detailed and scathing rejoinder, former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has accused his successor, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, of engaging in deliberate misinformation and undermining the integrity of the Attorney-General’s Office through false public claims and politically-motivated legal maneuvers.
The statement, issued on July 29, 2025, comes in response to remarks made by Dr. Ayine at a press conference on July 28, where he claimed it took the Attorney-General’s Office six months to file witness statements in the case of Republic v. Cassiel Ato Forson & 2 Others.
Dame called this assertion “palpably false,” asserting that all disclosures, including witness statements and exhibits, were filed by February 14, 2022 — just 27 days after the accused were arraigned on January 18, 2022.
“The Office of the Attorney-General never requested further time to file any documents in the Ato Forson trial,” Dame stated, backing his assertion with copies of court records and filing documents.
He said Ayine’s claim is either a reckless oversight or a calculated move to tarnish the image of his predecessors and the Office.
Nolle Prosequi and the Unibank Case
Dame further accused Dr. Ayine of abusing prosecutorial discretion by entering nolle prosequi in favour of his former clients in the Unibank scandal without transparency or due legal process.
While Ayine had touted a GHS2 billion asset recovery deal involving the Duffuors and related entities, Dame contends that all those assets had already been identified by the Receivers appointed by the Bank of Ghana.
“To date, Dr. Ayine has not recovered a single cedi,” said Dame. “There is no new asset discovered by him or his team this year. The so-called recovery is based solely on his unilateral valuation and discretion.”
He challenged Ayine to disclose the agreement that formed the basis of the nolle prosequi decision and provide evidence of any enforceable terms or penalties in case of default. “Where is the agreement? Where is the valuation report? What happens if they default?” Dame queried.
The Case of William Ato Essien and Double Standards
Highlighting an inconsistency in how financial crime is prosecuted under different administrations, Dame referenced the Republic v. William Ato Essien case, which resulted in a GHS90 million restitution agreement under his tenure.
Ato Essien, after defaulting, was sentenced and is currently serving a 15-year jail term.
“With the new regime of cutting deals in lieu of prosecution, there is no justification for Ato Essien to remain in jail,” Dame pointed out, sarcastically urging his successor to “free Ato Essien now.”
The Beige Bank Affair and Alleged Bribery Claims
Godfred Dame also took aim at Ayine’s sensational claim that counsel for the accused in the Beige Bank matter offered him a GHS10 million bribe. Describing the allegation as baseless, Dame demanded proof.
“There’s no official record of this offer. Was it made to him in his private capacity? He must produce the receipt or written correspondence, and his response,” he said.
According to Dame, the Beige Bank case, which was lost on appeal during Ayine’s watch, was not vigorously pursued, and Ayine has shown little interest in challenging the Court of Appeal’s ruling at the Supreme Court.
Track Record on Financial Crime Prosecution
Contrary to Ayine’s portrayal of widespread inefficiency, Dame defended the record of the Attorney-General’s Office between 2017 and 2025.
According to him, multiple successful prosecutions were secured, including in the cases of Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, and Daniel Duku, with the only major loss being the recent Ato Forson acquittal — a 2–1 judgment at the Court of Appeal. Dame criticized Ayine for abandoning an appeal already filed to the Supreme Court in that case.
He further questioned what steps Ayine has taken to extradite Sedinam Attionu, who has absconded, and called on the current AG to explain efforts being made to enforce her custodial sentence or seize her assets.
Political Motivation
Dame also suggested that Ayine’s actions are politically motivated and serve to undermine prosecutions against former National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials.
He accused Ayine of systematically discontinuing cases involving more than GHS7 billion in state funds, thereby frustrating accountability mechanisms.
He noted that delays in prosecuting white-collar crimes were largely due to defense tactics, including numerous interlocutory applications, many filed by Dr. Ayine himself as defense counsel during the previous administration.
To speed up trials, Dame cited an amendment bill he introduced to Parliament to curb procedural delays — a bill Ayine has not reintroduced.
Tone and Respect for Office
Dame expressed disappointment over what he described as Ayine’s “condescending” tone toward past Attorneys-General, especially Gloria Akuffo, under whose leadership most of the banking sector trials began.
“All of Ghana’s former Attorneys-General are senior to Dr. Ayine in both age and office. They deserve respect,” Dame wrote. “His veiled disparagement departs from the conservative traditions of that high office.”
The statement, titled “Legally Speaking,” signals growing tensions between the current and former administrations over the handling of high-profile financial crimes and the broader accountability agenda. It also calls into question the future trajectory of legal prosecutions in Ghana under Dr. Ayine’s leadership.
