NPP has never used nolle prosequi to shield appointees – Baffour Awuah

Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has refuted claims that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has used nolle prosequi to protect its appointees from corruption cases. This comes in response to Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor's statement on JoyNews' Newsfile, wherein he alleged that the NPP has employed this legal tactic in the past.

Baffour Awuah firmly stated that "at no point has the New Patriotic Party ever, whilst in government, filed nolle prosequi in respect of any of our appointees, former appointees, persons who are exposed to us sympathetically stand trial for corruption or corruption-related offence."

To substantiate his claim, Baffour Awuah highlighted the prosecution and conviction of Alhaji Mallam Issah, a former Sports Minister under former President John Agyekum Kufuor, as a clear example of the NPP's commitment to accountability. He emphasized that "Under the New Patriotic administration, a former appointee under President Kufuor, Alhaji Mallam Issah was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to prison. So we are not known for that as a party."

The MP's remarks come amid growing concern over the AKSA Power transaction. Allegations have surfaced that former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner Berko participated in a bribery scheme to secure and retain business related to the project. US prosecutors claim Berko was involved in this scheme from December 2014 to March 2017, and he was extradited to the United States in July 2024 to face charges under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money-laundering laws.

Baffour Awuah underscored the gravity of the allegations, stating that "my sense of the judgement is that, but for the influence, certain approvals would not have been obtained." He stressed that the involvement of public officials in the alleged wrongdoing raises serious concerns about the integrity of public decision-making and Ghana's capacity to prevent and prosecute corruption.

Baffour Awuah argued that the case should not be dismissed because it is being handled in a foreign court, noting that "we cannot gloss over them because they are becoming one too many, one too many instances where Ghanaian public contracts are said to have been compromised."

He went on to critique Ghana's systems, asserting that repeated failures to ensure value for money, prevent corruption, and prosecute offenders indicate severe systemic weaknesses. Accordingly, Baffour Awuah maintained that the NPP's demand for an inquiry into the AKSA transaction is justified and should lead to substantive actions.

He called for a thorough investigation to uncover the facts surrounding the transaction, identify those involved, and determine if any laws or procedures were violated. He also urged for prosecutions where evidence of criminal wrongdoing is established, along with reforms to address any institutional shortcomings revealed by the inquiry.