Today, fellow citizens, I write not in anger but in awe. Absolute, jaw-dropping awe.
For years we thought crime didn’t pay. We were lied to. Today, our learned Attorney General has issued a masterclass in elite leniency. The Republic v. Kwabena Duffuor & 7 Others has been dropped. Why? Because they returned 60 percent of what they allegedly looted. The remaining 40 percent? Apparently, that’s your bonus for cooperation.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is not justice. This is a discounted plea bargain sale. A Black Friday for financial crime.
Imagine this
You loot GH₵100 million from the State
You’re caught
You sit down, sip Nespresso, negotiate for three years
You return GH₵60 million
You walk free
No jail
No conviction
No disgrace
You keep GH₵40 million and your reputation mostly intact
Just like that, our legal system has introduced a new economic model. Loot Now, Refund Later.
And for those honest public servants slaving for 30 years only to retire on a government bond and a handshake, maybe it’s time to wake up. You’re doing it wrong. The real wealth is in strategic misappropriation followed by tactical restitution.
Let me break it down for my fellow Bole farmers
If a goat thief returns 3 out of the 5 stolen goats, does the chief cancel the case?
If a young man snatches a phone but offers to give you back 60 percent of your WhatsApp messages, is he set free?
If a student cheats in an exam but remembers 60 percent of the correct answers, is he awarded the degree?
Of course not.
But in Accra, where suits are sharp and memory is short, justice is no longer blind. She just squints and calculates net recoveries.
Let’s call it what it is. This is institutional surrender dressed up as pragmatism. They say it’s about recovering state resources, but it’s also about setting fire to deterrence and pouring water on public confidence. Because now, every white-collar criminal in Ghana has their blueprint. Loot boldly, negotiate patiently, refund partially, retire luxuriously.
I fear this moment may be remembered not just as the day prosecution died but as the birth certificate of impunity.
The rule of law didn’t just blink. It winked.
And if we’re being fair, let’s update the national motto
Freedom, Justice, and Flexible Refund Terms
God bless our homeland Ghana. We clearly need it.
Ziblim Mahama
Bole Goat Farmer, and Citizen Who Still Pays His Electricity Bills in Full
