The Attorney-General, Dominic Ayine, has officially withdrawn all charges against former Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, who had been standing trial for his alleged role in the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank.
A notice of withdrawal, filed at the trial court and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, stated:
“Please take note that at the next hearing of this suit, the prosecutor,, on the instructions of the Honourable Attorney-General,, hereby withdraws all offences and/or charges against Johnson Asiama herein under sections 59(1), (2)(b)(ii),, and (5) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act (1960), Act 30.”
Dr. Asiama had been facing multiple charges, including fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit a crime, since 2020. His involvement in the cases stemmed from alleged violations of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Act.
In the case of UT Bank, he was charged alongside five others, including the bank’s founder, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, and key executives such as Raymond Amanfu, Catherine Johnson, and Robert Kwesi Armah.
Similarly, in the UniBank case, the former finance minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor; his son, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor II; and other executives were also facing charges, including money laundering.
However, the Attorney-General’s decision to drop charges applies only to Dr. Asiama, while the prosecution against the other accused individuals will proceed as scheduled.
Dr. Asiama’s legal troubles date back to February 5, 2020, when he was arraigned alongside Dr. Duffuor and others over UniBank’s collapse. At the time, the prosecution, led by DPP Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, accused Dr. Duffuor of money laundering and dishonestly receiving, while Dr. Asiama was charged with wilfullycausing financial loss to the state.
The charges against other executives of UniBank included fraudulent breach of trust, conspiracy to commit a crime, and contravening the BoG Act. The A-G alleged that Dr. Duffuor and his HODA Group dishonestly received over GH₵660 million from UniBank, while Dr. Asiama, in his capacity as Second Deputy Governor of the BoG, approved an unsecured GH₵300 million facility from UniBank to Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) despite being aware of UniBank’s financial distress.
This latest development comes as Dr. Asiama takes on a new role as part of the planning committee for the Ghana Gold Board. The attorney general’s decision to withdraw charges signals a shift in the prosecution’s focus, leaving industry experts and legal analysts speculating on the broader implications of the case.
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