The Chair of the South African Council of Elders for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Benjamin Kofi Quashie, has defended the Attorney-General’s press briefing on Mr. Kwabena Adu-Boahene’s corruption scandal, emphasizing that the AG was merely informing the public about the case and related corruption concerns.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Maakye on Kessben TV on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Mr. Quashie dismissed accusations of trial by public opinion, asserting that the Attorney-General acted in good faith by providing transparency on the matter.
Addressing criticisms from Adu-Boahene’s lawyers, who accused the AG of acting out of emotion and political bias, Mr. Quashie rejected their claims as baseless. He argued that morality should always guide legal matters, adding that the lawyers’ response was unjustified. “The letter defeats the purpose of logic and makes us all look stupid,” he stressed.
Commenting on Adu-Boahene’s arrest, he reminded the NPP that under their administration, individuals were arrested at airports and even in churches in the name of accountability. He cautioned members of the party to refrain from creating the impression that public servants could loot state resources without consequences.
According to Mr. Quashie, legal representation for individuals like Adu-Boahene could set a dangerous precedent. “You can loot state resources and use the same ill-gotten wealth to seek legal representation when the state comes after you; I find this problematic,” he stated.
When asked whether the Attorney-General’s remarks had prejudiced the case against Adu-Boahene, Mr. Quashie disagreed. He argued that if Adu-Boahene could not refute the AG’s claims about the wealth he had accumulated in the past eight years, “one does not need to be a lawyer or law graduate to know that this is criminal. The AG isn’t being prejudicial but pointing out how people have looted state resources,” he emphasized.
Describing the case as a setback to Ghana’s democratic progress, he insisted that such actions should not be tolerated.
“I’m not a lawyer, but commonsensically, the state must recover the loot and not be too interested in jailing Adu-Boahene. We need the money to build the country for the next generation,” he said.
