Banking consultant Dr. Richmond Atuahene has criticized the prolonged delay in resolving Ghana’s financial sector cases dating back to 2017, arguing that accountability lies with the Attorney General, not the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Speaking on Morning Starr with Lantam Papanko, Dr Atuahene urged those seeking justice to direct their concerns to the Attorney General’s office rather than expecting intervention from the IMF. “This case started in 2017. After 2020, are you saying that the previous Attorney General didn’t see anything wrong with it? Why couldn’t he have prosecuted it? People make a lot of noise, but if they had a solid case, they should be asking the Attorney General why it wasn’t pursued,” he stated.
He also warned that delays could lead to legal limitations on prosecuting certain financial crimes, citing Ghana’s Limitation Act, NRCD 575, which imposes time restrictions on legal actions ranging from three to thirty years.
Amid discussions about petitioning the IMF over banking sector issues, Dr. Atuahene dismissed the move as ineffective. “The IMF is not in this country to arbitrate on these matters. They are only here because we are taking their money. Reporting to them won’t change anything because it’s not part of their mandate,” he explained.
With an IMF delegation expected in Ghana next week, he emphasized that their focus will be on broader economic assessments, not unresolved financial sector cases.
Dr. Atuahene also addressed the ongoing transition at the Bank of Ghana, stating that the acting governor must first gather financial sector data before confirmation by the Council of State.
He urged stakeholders to exercise due diligence in their accusations, suggesting that proactive measures could have prevented the current situation. “If we had done the right thing from the start, would we be having this conversation today?” he asked.
