The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has officially discontinued the prosecution of former Finance Minister and founder of the defunct UniBank, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, along with seven others.
It will be recalled that in February 2020, Dr Duffuor, his son Kwabena Duffuor II, former Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Asiama, and five other senior officials of the defunct bank were charged with 68 counts relating to the collapse of UniBank. The charges included fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, dishonestly receiving, and falsification of accounts.
However, the case involving Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama was withdrawn earlier in January 2025, following a separate review by the Attorney General’s office.
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In a statement dated 22 July, signed by Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, it was disclosed that Dr Ayine had filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue the case. The decision, the statement explained, followed the Attorney General’s satisfaction that the accused persons had met the 60% recovery threshold of the alleged losses to the state.
The statement read:
The central objective of these prosecutions has been to (a) ensure accountability for public funds and, more importantly, (b) recover losses occasioned to the State through various alleged acts of financial impropriety.
It further explained that:
In pursuit of this objective, the Office of the Attorney-General, in collaboration with other relevant state agencies, established a threshold of 60% recovery of the alleged losses to the State as a condition for reconsidering prosecution in specific cases.
According to the Deputy Attorney General, following extensive negotiations and engagements, the accused persons had successfully met the recovery threshold. As such, the prosecution would no longer serve the public interest. He stated:
Accordingly, in furtherance of public interest, and considering the significant recoveries made for the State, the Honourable Attorney-General has satisfied himself that continuing with the prosecution will not serve any additional public purpose.
The statement, however, clarified that the discontinuation of the case does not imply an absence of wrongdoing, nor does it vindicate any particular conduct. It emphasised that the decision was a pragmatic one, guided by the overarching national objective of recovering state resources.
The Attorney General reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the rule of law, protecting the public purse, and ensuring justice in all matters of national interest.
