Charges against Collins Dauda were defective, unlawful – Ayine

Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, has revealed that the charges against former Works and Housing Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, were defective and unlawful.

According to Dr. Ayine, the prosecution failed to consider crucial factors, rendering the charges invalid.

In the case of the Republic v. Collins Dauda & Others, Dr. Ayine stated that the prosecution neglected to account for the value of the built environment at Saglemi, which was constructed using part of the $200 million in question. “The value of that built environment is, in my considered opinion, a key determinant of how much of the total sum was allegedly misapplied by the Honourable Collins Dauda,” Dr. Ayine explained.

Furthermore, Dr. Ayine noted that the prosecution also failed to consider payments made by other ministers who took office after Collins Dauda. For instance, Honourable Atta Akyea, as Minister of Works and Housing, approved a payment of $5 million in 2017, which should have been taken into account when determining the value of state funds allegedly misapplied by Collins Dauda.

“In criminal law, an accused is entitled to know with precision the crime that he has committed and the burden that he must discharge in order to prove his innocence,” Dr. Ayine emphasized. “This is basic criminal jurisprudence, and the charges in this case failed to meet the standard of precision required to put an accused person on notice of his criminal liability.”

The Attorney-General’s decision to drop the charges against Collins Dauda and four others has been officially confirmed through a nolle prosequi notice filed at the High Court (Financial Division 1) in Accra.