The Former Attorney-General has accused his successor, Dr. Dominic Ayine, of misleading the public regarding allegations of interference in the high-profile Ambulance case and mishandling key prosecutorial decisions.
Addressing the media, the former Attorney-General dismissed Dr. Ayine's claims of misconduct in the ongoing Ambulance trial, describing them as baseless and already discredited by the courts.
He referenced a ruling by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, who, on June 6, 2024, dismissed an application for mistrial by the accused persons.
Quoting from the ruling, the former Attorney-General emphasized that the court found no evidence of interference from his office.
“After listening to the conversation between A3 and A1, the issue of whether the Attorney-General actually told A3 to implicate A1 is not borne out by the evidence,” Justice Asare-Botwe ruled, highlighting that the accusations were not supported by the tape recordings presented in court.
The former Attorney-General criticized Dr. Ayine for disregarding the court’s findings.
“In the face of this clear judicial determination of no wrongdoing, it completely defies logic why the Hon. Attorney-General would publicly accuse me of ‘disgraceful and unethical conduct,’” he stated.
Concerns Over Nolle Prosequi Decisions
The former Attorney-General further accused Dr. Ayine of compromising the integrity of the prosecutorial process by relying solely on defence counsel’s input in deciding to withdraw several high-profile cases involving members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, Dr. Ayine admitted during his press conference that he consulted defence lawyers before discontinuing cases but failed to engage the Prosecutions Division of the Office of the Attorney-General or the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“The exercise of Dr. Ayine’s discretion to continue or withdraw prosecutions was informed principally by the disposition of defence counsel,” he asserted, describing this approach as a betrayal of the public interest.
The former Attorney-General challenged Dr. Ayine to produce evidence of any memoranda from the Prosecutions Division or consultations with the DPP advising on the withdrawals.
“I can say without any fear of contradiction that there is none,” he declared.
Lack of Consultation with the Presidency
The former Attorney-General also expressed shock that Dr. Ayine allegedly failed to consult President John Dramani Mahama or the Cabinet before taking decisions on cases involving significant losses to the state.
“The people of Ghana should be extremely concerned that the Attorney-General discontinued prosecutions in cases involving billions of Ghana cedis without discussing it with the President or Cabinet,” he argued.
Call for Accountability
The former Attorney-General urged Ghanaians to demand accountability from Dr. Ayine, stressing that prosecutorial discretion must be exercised in the public interest and not based on the views of defence lawyers.
“This is a dangerous precedent. The Attorney-General must prioritize the interests of the Republic over private negotiations with defence counsel,” he said.
The exchange between the current and former Attorneys-General has sparked heated political debate, with observers calling for transparency in the handling of high-profile corruption cases.
Background
The Ambulance trial, which involves the alleged misappropriation of state funds in the procurement of ambulances, has become a focal point of national discourse, with the Nolle Prosequi decisions further intensifying public scrutiny of the Attorney-General’s Office.
The public awaits Dr. Ayine’s response to the challenge issued by his predecessor as the controversy continues to unfold.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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