The Minority in Parliament has urged President John Dramani Mahama to allow the legal process to take its course in the case against Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiamah, the newly appointed acting Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
At a press conference on Wednesday, February 5, the Minority, led by Tano North MP Dr. Gideon Boako, expressed strong disapproval over the Attorney-General’s decision to withdraw criminal charges against Dr. Asiamah. They argued that his appointment should not shield him from prosecution, insisting that the case must continue.
Dr. Asiamah had been facing trial since 2020 alongside other accused persons for alleged financial misconduct linked to the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank. The Attorney-General, Dominic Ayine, however, recently filed a notice to discontinue the case. The withdrawal notice, signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, cited sections of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act (1960), Act 30.
The Minority warned that the decision to halt the prosecution could have far-reaching consequences on Ghana’s economic credibility and international financial dealings.
“Political and economic risk analysts will not be kind to Ghana given that some global financial institutions may refuse to do business with Ghana due to the uncertainty over these charges being re-instated by a future Attorney-General. This will likely increase the cost of Ghana’s international transactions,” they cautioned.
They further argued that appointing Dr. Asiamah as BoG Governor despite the unresolved allegations could cast doubts on his leadership and undermine confidence in the country’s financial sector.
“Dropping the charges does not mean he has been absolved of the crime. These charges can be brought back under a different government; and what will become of the decisions he will make as Governor?” they questioned.
To escalate their concerns, the Minority announced plans to formally engage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the matter.
“We will be writing to the IMF to draw attention to this, given that he will also, as Governor of the Bank, be a member of the IMF Board of Governors, exposing Ghana to international ridicule,” they stated.
The opposition MPs emphasized that at a time when Ghana is under an IMF programme, transparency and accountability in financial governance should not be compromised.
