The second prosecution witness in the trial of Kwabena Adu Boahen and three others is expected to testify before the start of legal vacation on July 31, 2025.
Dr Dominic Ayine, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, confirmed this at the Government’s Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, noting that the first witness had concluded his evidence-in-chief.
“But for the 3rd Accused Person’s sudden withdrawal in open court of her Lawyer’s service, our first witness would have been discharged to give way to the Second Prosecution Witness to start evidence-in-chief,” he stated.
Dr Ayine also gave updates on other high-profile cases, including the Skytrain trial and the National Service Scheme (NSS) scandal.
On the Skytrain matter, he said delays in trial commencement stemmed from solicitor changes and repeated medical excuses by Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi and the lawyer of Mr. Solomon Asamoah, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund.
He said the trial was expected to start before the legal break, as the case management conference had concluded.
Touching on the NSS case, the AG said new evidence had emerged, prompting a delay in filing charges.
He explained that an amount of GH¢189 million was transferred to a Bank of Ghana account, but GH¢80 million remained unaccounted for.
Two cheques bearing the name and account details of Mr. Osei Assibey, former Director-General of NSA, had allegedly been used to withdraw nearly GH¢2 million.
“We have therefore halted the filing of charges to await the receipt of the evidence from the relevant state agencies, including the Bank of Ghana, the Ministry of Finance, and the Controller and Accountant General,” Dr Ayine added.
He revealed that eight suspects, including three former NSA officers, had approached his office for plea negotiations.
“Some officials have offered to testify against their colleagues and some vendors, and service providers are willing to come clean and testify as prosecution witnesses,” he said.
The AG reaffirmed his commitment to prosecuting those who misused public funds but said recovery of looted assets remained a priority where possible.
“I am pragmatic enough to know that it is not in every instance that that is possible. In those circumstances, I will opt for non-conviction-based asset recovery,” he indicated.
GNA
