Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has clarified that not all cases of alleged public looting warrant prosecution, stressing that asset recovery can sometimes be a more practical route.
His remarks follow growing public concern over what some perceive as the government’s slow pace in prosecuting individuals—particularly from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration—who have been accused of misappropriating public funds.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, July 28, Dr. Ayine addressed the criticism directly.
“Make no mistake about my intentions—I want to jail persons who have looted state resources,” he said. “But at the same time, I am pragmatic enough to know that it is not in every instance that this is possible. In those circumstances, I will opt for non-conviction-based asset recovery.”
Meanwhile, the Attorney General defended his recent decision to enter a nolle prosequi in the high-profile case involving Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and seven others in connection with the collapse of uniBank.
He emphasized that the accused were never charged with theft or looting of public funds.
His clarification comes amid criticism, especially from the NPP, accusing the government of shielding members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) from accountability.
The Attorney General, however, maintained that the decision to discontinue the case was informed by significant asset recovery and was taken in the best interest of the state.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
