By: Ashiadey Dotse
Former Attorney-General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, has firmly rejected claims by his successor, Dr. Dominic Ayine, that it took six months to file witness statements in the ongoing case of The Republic vs Ato Forson and 2 Others.
Mr. Dame described the statement as a “palpable falsehood,” saying the records clearly show that all required documents, including witness statements, were filed within 27 days — not six months.
According to Mr. Dame, the accused persons in the case were first brought before the court on 18th January 2022, and the court directed that disclosures be filed by the next hearing on 15th February 2022. He stated that the prosecution complied fully, submitting all relevant documents, exhibits, and witness statements on 14th February 2022 — just under a month after the initial court date.
He emphasized that at no point during his time as Attorney-General did his office request additional time to file any witness statement or document in the case.
Mr. Dame questioned the motive behind Dr. Ayine’s comments and asked whether it was “sheer recklessness or a deliberate effort” to misrepresent facts and discredit his predecessors.
He further accused Dr. Ayine of attempting to protect former clients from criminal prosecution by exercising his power to file a nolle prosequi — a legal term to discontinue a case — instead of allowing the courts to decide.
On the subject of asset recovery, Mr. Dame also challenged Dr. Ayine’s claim of recovering money or assets from the Unibank case this year. He said all known assets of the Duffuors and related companies had already been identified by the Receiver appointed by the Bank of Ghana, long before Dr. Ayine took office.
“The record will reflect the fact that, to date, Dr. Ayine has not recovered a single Cedi in the Unibank matter,” Mr. Dame stressed.
He advised Dr. Ayine to stop misleading the public and uphold the integrity of the office he now occupies.
