Minority slams President Mahama over discontinuation of criminal charges against acting BoG Governor

The Minority in Parliament has strongly condemned President John Dramani Mahama‘s decision to allow the discontinuation of criminal charges against Dr Johnson Pandit Asiamah, the acting Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

At a press conference on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the Minority, led by Dr. Gideon Boako, MP for Tano North, insisted that Dr. Asiamah’s prosecution should proceed despite his recent appointment. They argued that dropping the charges undermines governance, accountability, and confidence in Ghana’s financial system.

The Minority warned that the move could have significant economic and political consequences for the country. They expressed concerns that international financial institutions might hesitate to engage with Ghana due to uncertainty over whether the charges could be reinstated by a future Attorney-General.

“Political and economic risk analysts will not be kind to Ghana given that some global financial institutions may refuse to do business with Ghana due to the uncertainty over these charges being reinstated by a future Attorney-General. This will likely increase the cost of Ghana’s international transactions,” they cautioned.

They further noted that halting the prosecution does not absolve Dr Asiamah of any wrongdoing and his position as Governor could be called into question if the charges were to be revived under a new government.

“Dropping the charges does not mean he has been absolved of the crime. These charges can be brought back under a different government, and what will become of the decisions he will make as Governor?” they asked.

The Minority also raised concerns about the impact of Dr Asiamah’s legal situation on Ghana’s global financial standing, warning that it could introduce uncertainty into financial policy-making and damage the country’s credibility on the international stage.

To press their concerns, the Minority announced plans to formally notify the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“We will be writing to the IMF to draw attention to this, given that he will also, as Governor of the Bank, be a member of the IMF Board of Governors, exposing Ghana to international ridicule,” they declared.

The Minority emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, particularly as Ghana remains under an IMF programme that requires strong and credible financial leadership.