Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has revealed the rationale behind the government’s decision to discontinue criminal proceedings against former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and seven others, citing substantial progress in asset recovery and pragmatic legal strategy.
The discontinuation, made official through a nolle prosequi filing, marked a turning point in Ghana’s financial sector clean-up efforts.
Addressing the media at government’s accountability series today, Dr. Ayine explained that, “By a letter dated May 7, 2025, the accused persons proposed to pay GH¢2 billion through a structured arrangement. They agreed to transfer GH¢800 million worth of assets directly to UniBank, currently under receivership, and assist in recovering an additional GH¢1.2 billion from third-party beneficiaries who received payments under their instructions.”
He mentioned that, so far, GH¢844 million in landed properties has been transferred to UniBank, with GH¢500 million already recovered from third parties. The remaining GH¢700 million is expected over the next 18 months.
Dr. Ayine cited four critical factors influencing the Attorney-General’s Office, which include
Fictitious Accounting Entries.
UniBank’s assets were artificially inflated by GH¢2.1 billion prior to its receivership.
* Pending Insolvency Claims: A GH¢300 million suit filed in 2019 remains unresolved.
* Extended Litigation: The case has spanned over six years, hampered by asset-tracing difficulties.
* Risk of Diminished Recovery: The cost and complexity of ongoing litigation could yield lower net recoveries.
“It is important to make clear that when someone is charged with causing financial loss to the state, it does not imply that they took the resources that have been lost”.
The case, officially titled The Republic v. Kwabena Duffuor & 7 Others (CR/0248/2020), was among multiple prosecutions launched in the aftermath of Ghana’s banking sector reforms. Government benchmarks had set a 60% recovery threshold as grounds for reconsidering further legal action.
