Dame accuses Ayine of killing financial crime prosecutions
No Asset Recovered, No Cedi Gained – Dame Shreds Ayine’s UniBank Claims
Former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has launched a scathing rebuttal against his successor, Dr. Dominic Ayine, accusing him of peddling misinformation, undermining the Office of the Attorney-General, and abandoning the prosecution of serious financial crimes for questionable settlement deals.
In a statement dated 29 July, Dame described Dr. Ayine’s claim that it took six months to file witness statements in the Republic v. Ato Forson & 2 Others trial as “palpably false,” pointing out that the documents were filed within 27 days of arraignment. He attached court records to back his assertion.
Dame condemned what he termed Ayine’s “unprofessional conduct” and “deliberate misinformation,” warning that his public misstatements erode the credibility of the justice system.
“Dr. Ayine’s actions constitute an attack on the very Office he now heads,” Dame declared, adding that Ayine’s decision to discontinue prosecutions and enter nolle prosequi was part of a broader attempt to shield former clients and political allies from accountability.
Dame also challenged Ayine’s touted asset recovery efforts in the UniBank case, insisting no new assets had been recovered. “All assets were already identified by the Receiver,” he said, adding that Ayine had not secured “a single cedi” for the State under his tenure.
He raised critical questions about the legality and transparency of Ayine’s settlement arrangements, demanding clarity on executed agreements, asset valuations, and enforceability terms.
Drawing comparisons, Dame referenced Republic v. William Ato Essien, where under his leadership the State recovered GHC30 million and secured a custodial sentence after default. “On account of the ‘resetting’ of prosecution, there is no justification for Ato Essien to be in jail. Free Ato Essien now!” he quipped sarcastically.
He further accused Ayine of fabricating a claim that a defence counsel offered him a GHC10 million bribe in the Beige Bank case, and questioned his refusal to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling which overturned the State’s case.
Dame criticised what he described as Ayine’s aversion to prosecuting financial crimes and said his discontinuation of key cases had caused the State to forfeit over GHC7 billion in potential recoveries.
He concluded by cautioning Dr. Ayine to respect his predecessors—particularly Gloria Afua Akuffo—describing Ayine’s tone as “condescending” and “a departure from the conservative traditions” of the Attorney-General’s Office.
