By Lawrence Odoom
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) accusations against Dr. Johnson Asiamah are entirely baseless and should be disregarded. Despite the lack of conviction by any court, the NPP continues to level unfounded allegations against Dr. Asiamah, contravening the fundamental principle of “innocent until proven guilty” that underpins our legal system.
In fact, the current Attorney General has declined to pursue the charges against Dr. Asiamah, citing a lack of merit. This decision underscores the fact that the accusations are nothing more than a politically motivated witch hunt, perpetuated by the NPP over the past seven years. A letter from Minority Leader Afenyo Markins failed to identify any illegality related to Dr. Asiamah’s appointment as Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
Gideon Boako’s press release levied various accusations against Dr. Asiamah, including breach of trust, violations of the Bank of Ghana Act, money laundering, and involvement in the collapse of UT and Capital Bank. However, a closer examination of these claims reveals a disturbing lack of substance. For instance, Dr. Asiamah’s firm stance against the inflation of the contract sum for the mobile money interoperability project, as proposed by former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is being misconstrued as a breach of trust.
Furthermore, the NPP’s claims of money laundering against Dr. Asiamah have been unable to withstand scrutiny, despite seven years of investigation. This lack of evidence raises serious questions about the NPP’s motivations and commitment to justice. Similarly, the accusation of violating the Bank of Ghana Act remains unsubstantiated, with the NPP failing to specify which particular act Dr. Asiamah allegedly breached.
It is also worth noting that the collapse of UT and Capital Bank was a direct result of the Nana Addo-Bawumia government’s cabinet decision. The incident involving Kofi Amoabeng, which led to the collapse of his bank, is a stark reminder of the NPP’s role in this saga. These claims against Dr. Asiamah are nothing more than a desperate attempt to discredit him and tarnish the reputation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
In reality, Dr. Asiamah’s only “offense” was his courageous resistance to the NPP’s attempt to reassign an already concluded inter-portability contract to another company at an inflated price. His commitment to transparency and due process led him to expose the truth through a press conference, resulting in his forced removal and prosecution. It is clear that Dr. Johnson Asiamah is not a criminal, and his prosecution was a targeted political witch hunt. The NPP’s claims are false and should be dismissed as a blatant attempt to discredit him and the NDC administration.
