Kwabena Adu-Boahene and Wife Sue Attorney General Ayine for Defamation Following Corruption Arrest

• The former Signals Bureau boss, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, and his wife have sued Attorney General Dominic Ayine for defamation
• The suit follows the corruption claims levelled against Adu-Boahene, which were detailed during a press conference
• Amanda Clinton, the Founding Partner of Clinton Consultancy, explained to YEN.com.gh why Ayine is liable to be sued

Former head of the Signals Bureau, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, and his wife have sued the Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine in his personal capacity for defamation following his accusations of corruption and criminality.

Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, described Ayine’s comments during a state conference as highly offensive and are seeking damages.

According to their lawsuit, the accusations made at a press conference have seriously harmed their reputations. At the time, no charges had been filed against them.

They called the comments reckless and without regard to candour. They also claimed they were not allowed to present their side of the story after their arrests.

They also want the court to stop the Attorney General from making similar accusations.

Ayine has eight days from the date of service to respond to the suit. Failure to do so may result in a default judgment being entered against him.

Adu-Boahene is currently on bail for GH¢80 million after arguing for a reduction from GH¢120 million.

Why Ayine is liable to be sued

Amanda Clinton, the Founding Partner of Clinton Consultancy, explained to YEN.com.gh that Ayine is liable to be sued because the accusations were made before being filed in court.

Clinton explained that had the Attorney General waited to file before releasing those Economic and Organised Crime Office property documents as an exhibit and had the charge sheet stamped, everything would be automatically privileged as a court matter and no one would be able to sue.

She expressed similar concerns right after the controversial press conference.

"This would be an even more powerful document if it had a court stamp on it, and date and it was adduced in evidence."

"His approach, even though it is to sensitise the public, is wrong… if you haven’t got all your ducks in a row, why would you fully criminalise someone in the public domain."

What is Adu-Boahene accused of doing?

Adu-Boahene is alleged to have transferred approximately GH¢49 million from the National Signals Bureau into his accounts, falsely justifying these transactions as payments for cyber defence systems.

In an update on the case, the government said initial payment of GH¢9.5 million, about $1.75 million, was reportedly transferred for payment for the defence system.

Adu-Boahene and his wife ostensibly acquired several landed properties in Ghana and abroad following the alleged embezzlement.

These include a property valued at $1 million, one other paid for with an initial cash deposit of $500,000 and another property acquired for $200,000.

Further investigations have uncovered that Adu-Boahene and his wife ostensibly registered approximately 10 companies under Advantage Solutions Limited, a corporate entity allegedly used to cover up illicit transactions.

They are facing up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of the claims against them.

Ayine told the press he would be open-minded about the possibility of a plea deal for them.

Mahama's pledge on corruption

The Mahama administration has pledged to crack down on corruption and make multiple arrests and raids in line with its campaign promises.

During the transition period, after the election, Mahama established an investigative committee known as Operation Recover All Loot which received over 200 complaints of corruption, amounting to more than $20 billion in recoverable funds.

He subsequently directed the attorney general to probe the claims when he took office

Adu-Boahene's first comments on corruption arrest

Adu-Boahene, pleaded his innocence when he spoke for the first time on March 28 following his corruption arrest.

He told the press he was definitely innocent when questioned by a reporter at the high court premises.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh