Ayine considers criminal charges against J.A Plant Pool in $2m overpayment

Attorney General Dominic Ayine says evidence confirms J.A. Plant Pool was overpaid $2 million, warning civil recovery or criminal prosecution remains under consideration.

Dr Ayine made the position clear while responding to questions on Newsfile, rejecting claims that the excess payment resulted from a clerical mistake.

“It wasn’t a clerical error. It is very, very clear from the invoices,” he said, stressing that the figures were consistent across multiple state institutions.

According to the Attorney General, the invoices were independently obtained from the Ministry of Finance, the District Assemblies Common Fund, and the Public Procurement Authority, then cross-checked.

“We compared all the invoices we received, and that figure is confirmed by all the invoices,” he explained. “They were overpaid by two million United States dollars.”

Dr Ayine said the state would not ignore the discrepancy and signalled firm action to recover the money. “I will insist on that,” he noted, adding that he was weighing his legal options. “I am considering either taking a civil action to recover it or possibly bringing criminal prosecution against the company and its directors.”

When the show host, Samson Lardi Anyenini suggested the comments sounded like a threat, the Attorney General pushed back strongly. “I’m not threatening,” he said. “I’m simply putting out the objective facts.”

He argued that outlining lawful options available to the state could not be interpreted as intimidation.

Dr Ayine referenced a separate tax matter involving the company, saying the Ghana Revenue Authority had already confirmed an amount of $22 million.

“If I tell you I’m going to collect it because that is my duty to make sure there’s accountability, it should not be seen as a threat,” he said. “I can take civil action. I can also decide to prosecute for criminal misconduct.”

Beyond domestic processes, the Attorney General disclosed that offshore investigations were underway to trace assets linked to ongoing probes.

“We are doing offshore investigations,” he said. “I have foreign asset recovery companies and experts helping me to trace assets abroad.”

He added that these efforts were being carried out alongside local investigations. “We are doing them simultaneously,” Dr Ayine stated, underscoring the government’s resolve to pursue accountability using all lawful means available.