AG Ayine Justifies High Bail Conditions, Says EOCO Not Targeting Former Appointees
Attorney General Dominic Ayinie
Accra, Ghana —Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has defended the recent high bail conditions imposed by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), insisting that the measures are lawful, necessary, and not politically motivated.
Dr. Ayine appeared before Parliament on Tuesday to respond to an urgent question filed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who sought clarification on what he described as EOCO’s growing practice of demanding “justification” as a bail requirement particularly in cases involving former government officials.
Responding on the floor of the House, Dr. Ayine stressed that EOCO’s actions are grounded in the Constitution, not discrimination. He cited Article 14(4) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates law enforcement agencies to release arrested persons either unconditionally or on reasonable conditions that ensure they return to stand trial.
“There is no intent on the part of EOCO or the Office of the Attorney General to impose arbitrary bail conditions on appointees of the previous government,” he said. AG on Bail and EOCO
Dr. Ayine clarified that the justification requirement where suspects must show proof of ability to meet the bail amount is a long-standing and legitimate practice. He emphasized that the nature and gravity of current financial crime investigations necessitate stricter bail terms.
According to him, the state is now handling cases involving extraordinarily large sums of money, making it essential that bail conditions correspond appropriately to the alleged financial losses.
“What we are seeing now is that the sums involved in the criminal investigations are very huge,” he told Parliament. “If you set very low bail conditions, the likelihood is that when the suspect escapes, whatever you are able to recover will not be enough to offset the loss to the state.”
He argued that bail must reflect both the magnitude of the alleged offense and the need to secure the suspect’s appearance in court. “For instance, if someone is accused of causing financial loss of one billion cedis or stealing 31 million cedis, you cannot set bail terms that are unjustifiably low,” he explained.
The Attorney General stressed that the bail requirements currently imposed by EOCO are neither punitive nor targeted at political actors but rather a safeguard to ensure accountability in serious economic crime investigations.
His remarks come at a time when several former public officers from the previous administration are facing investigations related to procurement breaches, financial loss, and corruption-related offenses feeding public debate about whether the legal system is being used for political retribution.
Dr. Ayine firmly dismissed this perception, assuring the House that the Ministry of Justice remains committed to fairness and the rule of law. “EOCO and other law enforcement agencies under my ministry are not acting arbitrarily,” he reiterated.
The Attorney General’s explanation appears aimed at easing political tension around recent arrests, even as the state ramps up efforts to curb organized and high-value economic crimes.
Read Also
