Kwabena Adu-Boahene, wife sue Ayine for defamation following corruption arrest

Kwabena Adu-Boahene and Wife Sue Attorney General Ayine for Defamation

Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former head of the Signals Bureau, and his wife have filed a defamation lawsuit against Attorney General Dominic Ayine. This follows corruption allegations made against Adu-Boahene during a press conference.

Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, found Ayine’s comments offensive. They are seeking damages for harm to their reputations. At the time of the accusations, no charges had been filed against them.

The couple described Ayine's remarks as reckless and lacking candor. They also claimed they were not given a chance to share their side after their arrests. Additionally, they want the court to prevent Ayine from making similar statements in the future.

Ayine has eight days to respond to the lawsuit. If he fails to do so, a default judgment may be entered against him. Currently, Adu-Boahene is out on bail set at GH¢80 million.

Amanda Clinton, a legal expert, explained why Ayine can be sued. She noted that his accusations were made before any formal charges were filed in court. Had he waited until filing those documents officially, they would have been protected as court matters.

Clinton expressed concerns about Ayine's approach during the press conference. She stated that it was inappropriate to publicly accuse someone without proper evidence.

Adu-Boahene is accused of transferring approximately GH¢49 million from National Signals Bureau funds into his accounts. He allegedly justified these transactions as payments for cyber defense systems.

The government reported an initial payment of GH¢9.5 million related to this defense system. Following these allegations, Adu-Boahene and his wife acquired several properties in Ghana and abroad.

These properties include one valued at $1 million and another purchased with an initial deposit of $500,000. Investigations revealed that they registered around 10 companies under Advantage Solutions Limited for illicit transactions.

If found guilty of these claims, they could face up to 25 years in prison. Ayine mentioned he would consider a plea deal for them if appropriate.

During Mahama's administration, there was a strong focus on combating corruption. An investigative committee received over 200 complaints amounting to more than $20 billion in recoverable funds.

Adu-Boahene maintained his innocence when he spoke publicly following his arrest on March 28. He reiterated this stance when questioned by reporters outside the high court premises.