The Minority in Parliament has called on President John Dramani Mahama to allow Dr Johnson Asiamah to face trial in order to uphold the integrity of Ghana’s financial ecosystem.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, 5th February, the Tano North Member of Parliament, Dr Gideon Boako, expressed concern over the president’s decision to appoint Dr Asiama as Governor of the Bank of Ghana despite his pending criminal charges.

The Minority insists that allowing the legal process to run its full course would be in the best interest of the state, the government, and Dr Asiama himself.

Dr Boako questioned why President Mahama did not wait for the conclusion of the adjudication process before appointing Dr Asiama or, alternatively, allow the trial to continue alongside his duties.

“It is our considered opinion that Dr Johnson Asiama be made to go through the full hog of the adjudication of the cases he was standing trial for,” he stated.

He further argued that the president’s decision undermines the principles of probity and accountability, which the ruling party claims to uphold.

According to him, the Minority believes that if Dr Asiama is truly innocent, he should be willing to clear his name before assuming such a critical position.

The Minority also accused the government of attempting to shield Dr Asiama from accountability by discontinuing the legal proceedings against him.

Dr Boako stated, “This sully attempt to discontinue the proceedings of the criminal charges against Dr Asiama is the more reason why we think he, a potential criminal convict, should not be heading an important and sensitive office as the Governor of the central bank.”

The opposition party argues that any individual appointed to lead the Bank of Ghana must be beyond reproach, especially at a time when Ghana is under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme that demands the highest level of financial discipline and transparency.

The controversy surrounding Dr Asiama’s appointment has sparked widespread debate over the government’s commitment to fighting corruption.

While the presidency has defended its decision, citing Dr Asiama’s extensive experience in monetary policy and financial regulation, the opposition MPs insist that the legal process must take precedence.

They warn that allowing him to assume office without clearing his name could set a dangerous precedent and erode public confidence in Ghana’s financial institutions.

The Attorney-General, Dominic Ayine, on January 30, 2025, filed a notice to withdraw all charges against former Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, who has been standing trial in two separate cases for his alleged role in the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank.

Mr Asiama, along with other accused persons, had been facing charges of fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, conspiracy to commit crime, and violations of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Act since 2020.

In the case of UT Bank’s collapse, the former second deputy governor was charged alongside five others, including the bank’s founder, Prince Kofi Amoabeng.

The other accused persons in that case were Raymond Amanfu, UT Holdings Ltd., Catherine Johnson, and Robert Kwesi Armah.

Regarding the UniBank case, the former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, his son Dr Kwabena Duffuor II, who was the CEO of UniBank before its collapse, and other executives were also charged with money laundering.

The notice of withdrawal applies only to Johnson Asiama, while the trials of the other accused persons are expected to proceed.

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