The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assifuah, has accused the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) government of “legalising corruption” in the country.
Assifuah claims recent government actions suggest corruption now has state backing, allowing perpetrators to act with impunity.
His comments follow the Attorney-General’s filing of a nolle prosequi to discontinue the criminal case against former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, who served under the Prof. Mills administration.
The MP criticised the government ahead of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget review on Thursday, July 24, 2025. Speaking to TV3’s Christian Yalley, Assifuah condemned the Attorney-General’s decision in the Dr. Kwabena Duffuor case, where the former Finance Minister would retain 40% of the amount in question and refund 60% to the state.
“Today, corruption has been legalised to the extent that we have a whole government who says…I’m telling you that if you have stolen money, come and pay 60% and take 40%,” he stated.
Assifuah added that this pattern follows previous cases against former NDC appointees, where nolle prosequi was filed, and some individuals were later given top appointments.
“This is how a whole A-G is able to say that I’m filing a nolle prosequi so somebody who has stolen money should take 40% and bring 60%. In fact, all the charges that we levelled against former appointees of the NDC government (2012 – 2016), clearly, the A-G filed nolle prosequi and some of them have been given top appointment,” he alleged.
Background
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, discontinued the criminal case against founder of the defunct UniBank, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, and seven others.
This according to the Attorney-General was coming after the State recovered over 60 per cent of the funds allegedly lost through the collapse of UniBank Ghana Limited.
The decision was communicated in a nolle prosequi application filed on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in the case, The Republic v. Kwabena Duffuor & 7 Others (CR/0248/2020).
A press statement signed by Deputy Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai explained that the move followed substantial recoveries and prolonged negotiations between the State and the accused persons.
“Considering the significant recoveries made for the State, the Honourable Attorney-General has satisfied himself that continuing with the prosecution will not serve any additional public purpose,” the statement said.
The Attorney-General’s Office had reportedly set a recovery benchmark of 60 per cent of the alleged losses as the basis for reconsidering prosecution in similar matters.
The statement also clarified that this decision “does not imply an absence of wrongdoing nor a vindication of any conduct,” but was a practical step aimed at avoiding further legal and administrative costs.
Dr Duffuor himself, a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana and the others, including his son Kwabena Duffuor II, had been charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and dishonest appropriation of public funds.
The charges stemmed from the collapse of UniBank, whose licence was revoked by the Bank of Ghana in August 2018. The central bank declared the bank insolvent and cited unlawful related-party transactions and a severe capital shortfall.
According to the state, over GH¢5.7 billion was siphoned from UniBank by insiders and related entities, leading to losses for depositors and exposing weaknesses in the banking sector.
The prosecution, which began in 2020, became one of the most prominent legal actions following the government’s financial sector clean-up.
That reform affected more than 400 institutions and cost the state over GH¢25 billion in bailouts and repayments.
Dr Duffuor, an economist and a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
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