President Mahama can’t be described as a clearing agent – Attorney-General

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has stated that President John Dramani Mahama is not involved in the decision to drop charges in certain criminal cases, and as such, he cannot be labeled as a clearing agent.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday (February 12, 2025), Dr. Ayine emphasised that all prosecutorial decisions were made independently by his office, without the involvement of the President.

"His Excellency John Dramani Mahama cannot be labelled a clearing agent because, as I have said in my statement, he has not been involved in any decision. I have not briefed him on any of these decisions. I will, at the appropriate time, maybe during a Cabinet meeting, formally inform His Excellency and my Cabinet colleagues of the decisions that I have taken. Until then, His Excellency remains innocent and stands far away from the decisions that I have taken," he explained.

Dr. Ayine argued that the "clearing agent" tag was rightly used in the case of former President Nana Akufo-Addo because he was directly involved in many cases, often issuing statements and writing letters in defence of accused officials.

Citing the Cecilia Dapaah case, he pointed out that former President Akufo-Addo had publicly expressed confidence in her innocence, leading to public perceptions that he was shielding individuals from prosecution.

"That is how Ghanaians labelled him a clearing agent," Dr. Ayine remarked.

The Attorney-General stressed that he took full responsibility for all decisions to discontinue certain prosecutions, affirming that they were based on legal, ethical, and professional considerations.

"I have told you that I am taking absolute responsibility for all the decisions. As the Attorney-General, it is my responsibility. If there is any fault in the decisions I have taken, I am taking responsibility today and I will take responsibility in the future," he stated.

Touching on the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) report, Dr. Ayine disclosed that the Attorney-General’s Department is reviewing the document and will soon take action.

"We’ll be having our first technical meeting on Friday, and if there are any low-hanging fruits, I’m sure you’ll see prosecutions taking place before the end of the month or into the early parts of next month," he revealed.

He assured the public that no one would be charged without sufficient evidence, stating, "I will not charge anybody and go back and look for evidence against them. I will never do that."

As the Attorney-General’s decisions continue to generate public debate, Dr. Ayine remains firm in his stance, insisting that his actions are guided solely by the law.