‘A Calculated Ploy’ – Former AG Dame Slams Succesor Dr Ayine Over Mass Case Withdrawals
Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has accused his successor of engaging in a politically motivated effort to shield members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from prosecution
This follows Dr Dominic Ayine’s mass withdrawal of high-profile criminal cases.
Addressing the media on Friday, February 14, Dame did not mince words, describing Ayine’s actions as “a calculated, preconceived ploy on the part of the NDC to wipe out all criminal cases pending against its leading members.”
His remarks come in the wake of Dr Ayine’s decision to discontinue several prosecutions, including cases involving prominent former NDC officials such as Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Dr. Stephen Opuni, and Collins Dauda.
Mr Godfred Dame asserted that these withdrawals were not based on sound legal reasoning but rather aligned with the NDC government’s broader political agenda.
“These developments irresistibly point to only one conclusion – a calculated, preconceived ploy on the part of the NDC to wipe out all criminal cases pending against its leading members and officials of the John Mahama Government,” he stated.
He further criticised Dr Ayine’s decision to abandon cases involving billions of cedis in public funds, arguing that justice demanded they proceed in court.
Mr Godfred Dame insisted that Dr Ayine’s justifications were unfounded and unprecedented in Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
He also took issue with Dr Ayine’s apparent reliance on defence counsel arguments to support the discontinuations, warning that such reasoning compromised the independence of the Attorney General’s office.
“The people of Ghana should be very scared if we have an Attorney-General whose prime consideration for the discontinuation of criminal cases is the position of defence lawyers rather than the interests of the Republic,” Mr Godfred Dame cautioned.
Beyond the case withdrawals, Mr Godfred Dame accused Ayine of attempting to discredit the judiciary, suggesting that his criticisms of judges who had ruled against NDC officials were part of a broader strategy to undermine the rule of law.
“The Judiciary was not spared the brush of the Attorney-General’s unwarranted scathing attacks,” he noted.
On the controversial ambulance procurement case involving Dr Ato Forson, Mr Godfred Dame refuted allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, dismissing Dr Ayine’s claims as politically motivated.
He challenged his successor to present any internal legal opinions that recommended dropping the charges.
The former AG concluded by warning that Ayine’s actions had set a dangerous precedent that could erode public trust in Ghana’s judicial system.
“The President, through his Attorney-General, has, in a spectacular fashion, become the clearing agent to indemnify their allies who have duly been put before the courts for the commission of crimes,” he declared.
Credit: Abubakar Ibrahim
