High Court Judge Discontinues Osafo Maafo’s Kroll Case …On orders of Chief Justice

The Accra High Court hearing the case involving Seniro Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, and Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, today announced the discontinuation of the case.

And strangely, the reason was not because the Attorney General or the Auditor General’s Department has decided to file for the discontinuation, but because Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, has asked for the docket.

Trial judge, Doreen Boakye Adjei, explained that a petition of sorts had been written against the case but that even she thye trial judge did not know the identity of the petitioner.

Justice Boakye Adjei also advised the counsels for both sides in the case to rather contact the Court Manager for explanations. By this advice, it is not known if the judge was throwing her hands up in despair or washing her hands off the case.

Mr. Osafo was in court appealing his surcharge by the Auditor General over the questionable payment of US$1million to US based consultancy firm, Kroll Associates, ostensibly to recover government of Ghana assets from appointees of the erstwhile Mahama government.

It is not clear what exactly Kroll was hired to do as recovery of government assets could have been done by any of the several departments of the various Ministries. According to the Auditor General, Kroll did no work to deserve the money.

In 2017, Mr. Yaw Domelevo demanded that the Senior Minister justify the payments. This did not happen and so the Auditor Generel proceeded to surcharge Mr. Osafo Maafo together with four others at the Ministry of Finance.

It is against this surcharge that the Senior Minister is in court. Why Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, who was only recently appointed Chief Justice has caused the discontinuation of the case is not known. Interestingly, Justice Anin Yeboah only recently presided over a Supreme Court panel hearing a related case that granted for Kroll Associates to be served abroad.

Musician, Kwame A Plus, who is also in court on grouinds that Kroll must give back the money, was awarded a request for Kroll to be served outside of the jurisdiction by the panel presided over by the Chief Justice just last week.