The Attorney-General’s Office has formally discontinued the prosecution of former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffour and seven others, who were standing trial in connection with alleged financial improprieties during Ghana’s financial sector clean-up.
In a press release issued today, Tuesday, July 22, the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, announced that a nolle prosequi had been entered in the case titled The Republic v. Kwabena Duffour & 7 Others (CR/0248/2020).
Though the law does not require the Attorney-General to explain the basis for such a decision, the statement noted that the move was made in the interest of transparency and public accountability.
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The case was one of several stemming from the State’s financial sector reforms launched in 2018, which aimed to hold individuals accountable and recover losses to the State. According to the Attorney-General’s Office, a benchmark was established requiring the recovery of at least 60% of the alleged losses as a condition to reconsider prosecution.
“Following prolonged negotiations and engagements, the accused persons… have met this recovery threshold,” the statement said. It added that continuing the trial would no longer serve any “additional public purpose,” and thus, discontinuing the case was deemed to be in the national interest.
However, the Attorney-General emphasised that this decision “does not imply an absence of wrongdoing nor a vindication of any conduct,” describing it instead as a pragmatic step to secure state resources.
The statement reaffirmed the Attorney-General’s ongoing commitment to the rule of law and to safeguarding the public purse.
