The Chair of the South African Council of Elders for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Benjamin Kofi Quashie, defended the Attorney-General’s press briefing on Kwabena Adu-Boahene, highlighting that the AG was only briefing the public about the case and related corruption issues.
During a panel discussion on ‘Maakye’ on Kessben TV, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, he repudiated the notion of trial by public opinion, emphasizing that the Attorney-General acted in good faith by providing the public with information.
According to Quashie, the description of Adu-Boahene’s lawyers of the AG’s actions in their letter as acting in the realm of emotions and party frenzy is misplaced. He pointed out that before the establishment of laws, there was morality, and that should be the guiding post of life. Mr. Quashie added that with the exposé by the AG, the lawyers ought not to have written such a letter. “The letter defeats the purpose of logic and makes us all look stupid,” he stressed.
Commenting on the arrest of Mr Adu-Boahene, he reminded the NPP of arresting people at the airport or at church during their era; these were done in line with ensuring accountability by past public servants. Mr Quashie cautioned members of the NPP fraternity to hasten slowly, counselling them to desist from painting a picture that depicts public servants can loot the state and go scot-free.
In the view of the Chair of the NDC SA Council of Elders, legal representation for people like Kwabena Adu-Boahene would embolden other politicians to tow his line of action. “You can loot state resources and use the same ill-gotten wealth to seek legal representation when the state comes after you; I find this problematic,” he stated.
When his attention was drawn to the fact that the AG’s actions sought to pronounce Adu-Boahene guilty in the court of public opinion, Mr Quashie disagreed, saying, if Mr Adu-Boahene had refuted the claims made by the AG regarding properties he had amassed within the last eight years, “one does not need to be a lawyer or law graduate to know that this is criminal. The AG isn’t being prejudicial but pointing out how people have looted state resources,” he emphasized.
In Mr Quashie’s view, this case is a bad one and affronts Ghana’s democratic journey that we promised ourselves to embark upon, which must not be countenanced.
“I’m not a lawyer, but commonsensically, the state must recover the loot and not be too interested in jailing Adu-Boahene. We need the money to build the country for the next generation,” he said.
