Attorney-General withdraws charges against former Deputy BoG Governor Johnson Asiama
The Attorney-General, Dominic Ayine, has filed a notice to withdraw all charges against former Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, who has been standing trial in two separate cases for his alleged role in the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank.
A notice of withdrawal, filed at the trial court and signed by 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 the Johnson Asiamah herein under sections 59(1), (2)(b)(ii) and (5) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act (1960), Act 30.”
Asiama, along with other accused persons, had been facing charges of fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, conspiracy to commit crime, and violations of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Act since 2020.
In the case of UT Bank’s collapse, the former second deputy governor was charged alongside five others, including the bank’s founder, Prince Kofi Amoabeng.
The other accused persons in that case were Raymond Amanfu, UT Holdings Ltd., Catherine Johnson, and Robert Kwesi Armah.
Regarding the UniBank case, the former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, his son Dr. Kwabena Duffuor II, who was the CEO of UniBank before its collapse, and other executives were also charged with money laundering.
The notice of withdrawal applies only to Johnson Asiama, while the trials of the other accused persons are expected to proceed.