Dame slams Ayine over dropped cases, accuses him of undermining rule of law
By DL News
Published
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In a lengthy statement posted on Facebook and titled “LEGALLY SPEAKING…!”, Dame challenged several assertions made by Dr. Ayine at a recent press conference—particularly the justification for discontinuing high-profile corruption cases via...
Former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has launched a blistering critique of his successor, Dr. Dominic Ayine, accusing him of spreading misinformation and weakening the State’s commitment to fighting financial crime.
In a lengthy statement posted on Facebook and titled “LEGALLY SPEAKING…!”, Dame challenged several assertions made by Dr. Ayine at a recent press conference—particularly the justification for discontinuing high-profile corruption cases via nolle prosequi.
Dame rejected as “a palpable falsehood” Ayine’s claim that the State took six months to file witness statements in the Republic v. Ato Forson & Others case. Citing official court records, Dame clarified that all witness statements and documentation were filed within 27 days—on February 14, 2022, after the first court hearing on January 18.
The former A-G also criticized Ayine’s handling of the Unibank case, questioning the credibility of his touted asset recoveries. According to Dame, the properties Ayine claims to be recovering had already been identified by receivers appointed by the Bank of Ghana. He demanded evidence of any new assets located or agreements signed before the cases were dropped.
Dame claimed that by discontinuing several prosecutions, Ayine had effectively abandoned over GH¢7 billion in potential recoveries—excluding the GH¢2 billion cited in the Unibank settlement—and called for a full public inquiry into the matter.
Drawing a comparison, Dame cited the Capital Bank case, in which his administration secured the imprisonment of William Ato Essien after he failed to honour a court-sanctioned repayment agreement. He accused Ayine of adopting a lenient approach to similar prosecutions, notably in the Beige Bank case, where the accused allegedly offered GH¢10 million to settle.
He further accused Ayine of neglecting to pursue appeals initiated by the previous administration following unfavourable rulings, thereby weakening institutional accountability.
Dame also took issue with what he described as Ayine’s “condescending tone” toward former Attorneys-General, including Gloria Akuffo, saying his predecessors “deserve utmost respect” for their service.
