Former Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has launched a scathing attack on his successor, Dr. Dominic Ayine, accusing him of peddling falsehoods and weakening the State’s fight against financial crimes.
In a detailed statement shared on Facebook, Mr. Dame described Dr. Ayine’s recent comments at a press conference—where he justified dropping charges against some high-profile individuals—as “misleading, unprofessional and damaging to the integrity of the Office of the Attorney-General.”
Dame challenged Ayine’s claim that it took six months to file witness statements in the Republic v. Ato Forson & Others case, calling it a “palpable falsehood.” He provided court records showing that witness statements and all supporting documents were filed within 27 days—specifically on February 14, 2022, following the initial court appearance on January 18, 2022.
He accused Dr. Ayine of attempting to “make his predecessor and for that matter the Office he now heads look bad,” arguing that such misrepresentations were unbefitting of a public officer.
Dame also cast doubt on Dr. Ayine’s approach to recovering stolen public funds, especially in the high-profile Unibank case. According to Dame, the assets Ayine now claims to be recovering had already been identified by the Bank of Ghana-appointed Receivers. He questioned whether any new assets had been discovered and demanded public disclosure of agreements or valuations made before the discontinuation of cases via nolle prosequi.
He alleged that Ayine’s decision to drop several prosecutions has led to the abandonment of over GHC 7 billion in potential recoveries, excluding the GHC 2 billion cited in the Unibank case. “This calls for an enquiry,” Dame insisted.
Referring to the Capital Bank case, Dame contrasted Ayine’s discontinuation of cases with his own actions, which led to the imprisonment of William Ato Essien after failing to meet terms of a recovery agreement.
Dame further questioned Ayine’s handling of the Beige Bank case and his alleged claim of a GHC10 million offer from accused persons. “I challenge Dr. Ayine to produce receipt of such a proposal, and his official response,” Dame stated.
He described Ayine’s discontinuation of prosecutions as an “attack on accountability and the rule of law,” and accused him of abandoning appeals filed by the former administration in the wake of adverse court rulings.
On a final note, Dame criticized what he called Ayine’s “condescending tone” toward his predecessors, including former Attorney-General Gloria Akuffo. “They deserve utmost respect,” he wrote.
The statement, titled “LEGALLY SPEAKING…!”, has triggered renewed public debate over the current administration’s approach to prosecuting financial crimes.
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