Kwabena Duffuor fights investigations over stealing, money laundering

A former Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has gone to court to stop the Special Investigating Team (SIT), the body set up to unravel why some seven indigenous banks collapsed, from inviting him over allegations of stealing and money laundering.

In his application filed at the Accra High Court last Thursday by his lawyer, Mr Simon Animley, the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) stated that on January 8, 2020, the SIT wrote a letter inviting him to assist the team with investigations into allegations of stealing and money laundering.

Dr Duffuor, who is also the founder of uniBank, one of the collapsed banks, accused the SIT of threatening to arrest and detain him, a situation he said would humiliate and embarrass him.

Such a move, he argued, was a fundamental breach of his human rights on the basis that he had long ceased to be a board member of uniBank and had nothing to do with the bank’s collapse.

Apart from the main application, his lawyers have also filed an interlocutory application to stop the SIT from acting against their client until the final determination of the main application.

The main application and the interlocutory application had named Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Edward Tabiri, the leader of the SIT, as the defendant.

Reliefs

Dr Duffuor is seeking certain reliefs from the court, including a declaration that the act by the SIT was a violation of his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

He also wants an order from the court directing the defendant to stop “his unlawful threats and harassment” against him.

Also, the plaintiff is seeking a perpetual order from the court restraining the defendant, his agents, assigns or privies from interfering with his fundamental human rights.

Duffuor’s case

In his statement of claim, the former Finance Minister averred that he used to serve on the boards of uniBank and other affiliated companies, but he ceased to be a board member of uniBank and all the other companies when he was appointed as Minister of Finance in 2009.

“The plaintiff states that he subsequently created a Deed of Qualified Blind Trust to oversee his assets and business interests

“Plaintiff avers further that when he left public office in January 2013, he was neither appointed a director nor into any managerial position in uniBank Ghana Limited and its affiliates prior to it entering into receivership,” the statement of claim added.

According to him, when he received the letter from the SIT on January 8, 2020, his lawyers wrote to the SIT to inform it that he had ceased to be a director of uniBank and was, therefore, not in the position to assist it with its investigation.

“The plaintiff says that the defendant knew or ought to have known that the plaintiff who ceased to be a board member of uniBank since 2009 had no connection or whatsoever with the collapse of uniBank,” he added.

writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh