LIVE: Ghana’s Attorney-General Drops Charges Against Top Officials, Defends Decision 

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has stirred public debate after announcing the discontinuation of multiple high-profile criminal cases against senior state officials, including Dr. Ernest Addison, the recently appointed Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

The decision, disclosed during a press briefing in Accra on Thursday, has raised questions about accountability and the independence of Ghana’s legal system.

Ayine defended the move as a “strategic recalibration” of the state’s prosecutorial priorities, citing insufficient evidence and procedural irregularities in the discontinued cases. “After thorough review, we concluded that pursuing these matters would not serve the public interest or align with constitutional mandates for fairness,” he stated. The Attorney-General did not specify the exact number of cases dropped or name all officials involved but confirmed the list includes figures linked to financial governance and regulatory bodies.

The inclusion of Dr. Addison, who assumed the central bank role amid Ghana’s ongoing debt restructuring and inflation crisis, has drawn particular scrutiny. Critics argue the timing risks perceptions of political interference, especially as the Bank of Ghana faces heat over controversial monetary policies and a steep depreciation of the cedi. Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu described the decision as “legally dubious,” accusing Ayine of “institutionalizing impunity for the powerful.”

Civil society groups have demanded transparency, urging the Attorney-General’s office to publish detailed rationales for each discontinued case. “Selective justice erodes public trust,” said Mensah Thompson of the Alliance for Social Equity. “Ghanaians deserve to know why these officials—entrusted with managing public funds—are being shielded from scrutiny.”

Political analysts suggest the move may reflect broader tensions within President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration, which has faced accusations of shielding allies from accountability. A 2023 Afrobarometer survey found that 67% of Ghanaians believe corruption among officials has worsened under the current government.

Ayine, however, dismissed claims of bias, asserting that the review process was “rigorous and impartial.” He emphasized that the discontinuations do not preclude future investigations should new evidence emerge. “Our mandate is to uphold the rule of law, not political vendettas,” he added.

The decision arrives as Ghana navigates fragile economic recovery efforts, with the IMF warning that governance weaknesses could undermine its $3 billion bailout program. For now, the Attorney-General’s stance leaves unresolved questions about how Ghana will reconcile legal accountability with its quest for stability—a balancing act that could define its democratic trajectory in the years ahead.