The Minority in Parliament has strongly criticised President John Dramani Mahama for allowing the discontinuation of criminal charges against Dr Johnson Pandit Asiamah, the acting Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, 5th February, the Minority, led by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North, Dr Gideon Boako, insisted that the prosecution should be allowed to proceed despite Dr Asiamah’s appointment.

They argued that dropping the charges raises serious concerns about governance and accountability.

According to the minority, the decision to discontinue the case could have far-reaching economic and political consequences for Ghana.

“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 re-instated by a future Attorney-General. This will likely increase the cost of Ghana’s international transactions,” they warned.

They stressed that halting the prosecution does not equate to clearing Dr Asiamah of wrongdoing and that a future government could still reinstate the charges, potentially undermining confidence in his decisions as BoG Governor.

The Minority further questioned the implications of Dr Asiamah’s position on Ghana’s international financial standing.

“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.

They argued that allowing an individual with unresolved legal issues to lead the central bank could create uncertainties in financial policy-making and damage Ghana’s credibility on the global stage.

As a result, the Minority announced plans to formally notify the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of their concerns.

“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 stated.

They emphasised that transparency and accountability should not be compromised, particularly at a time when Ghana is under an IMF programme and requires strong financial leadership.