Ex-Water Resources, Works, and Housing Ministers Alhaji Collins Dauda and Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, alongside former ministry chief director Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu and Ridge Management Solutions CEO Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, walked free after prosecutors withdrew all charges under a nolle prosequi filed by the Attorney General’s office.

The decision, announced in court on February 25, 2025, marked a dramatic end to a case that had languished for years amid delays and procedural disputes. Principal State Attorney Hilda Craig confirmed the AG’s office had reviewed the case docket and determined “no basis to proceed,” effectively terminating the trial. A fifth defendant, Construtora OAS Ghana executive Albert Clocanas, died during the proceedings.

Dauda, clad in a white kaftan he later called a symbol of “victory and gratitude,” thanked Allah outside the courthouse as cameras rolled. “This ordeal is over,” he told reporters, while co-defendants declined to comment. The discharge closes a chapter on one of Ghana’s most contentious corruption probes, centered on alleged mismanagement of funds meant to build 5,000 low-cost homes under the Saglemi project launched in 2012.

Prosecutors had argued the accused diverted $200 million through inflated contracts and unauthorized variations, leaving the initiative incomplete and unfit for occupancy. The trial, which began with testimony from a retired Bank of Ghana attorney in 2023, stalled repeatedly—most recently on February 4, 2025, when state prosecutors sought time to “put their house in order” before abruptly dropping the case weeks later.

Critics swiftly questioned the AG’s move, noting the timing under President Mahama’s administration, which took office in January 2025. Dauda, a Mahama ally, served as housing minister during the project’s troubled execution. While the court’s discharge does not equate to exoneration, it leaves lingering doubts about accountability for a scheme once hailed as a solution to Ghana’s housing deficit.

“This outcome reinforces public cynicism about high-profile corruption cases,” said anti-graft advocate Mary Addah. “When trials collapse after years of taxpayer-funded proceedings, it suggests either weak evidence or political interference.” The AG’s office has yet to detail its rationale for the withdrawal, though insiders cite “evidentiary gaps” and witness credibility issues.

For now, the abandoned Saglemi site—a skeleton of crumbling structures north of Accra—stands as a physical reminder of the scandal. With the legal battle concluded, attention shifts to whether Ghana’s government will revive the project or consign it to the graveyard of botched public initiatives.