Lawyer petitions Mahama to pardon Ato Essien

Story By Philipina Badu On March 3, 2025, 8:05 PM

A private legal practitioner, Andrew Appiah-Danquah, has petitioned President John Mahama to pardon William Ato Essien, entrepreneur and founder of the defunct Capital Bank.

The petition, dated February 27, 2025, said Ato Essien’s conviction and imprisonment had raised concerns about the fairness and integrity of Ghana’s legal system.

In 2023, Mr. Ato Essien was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of stealing over GH¢90 million in liquidity support provided by the Bank of Ghana to Capital Bank.

Ato Essien’s imprisonment followed his inability to fully pay the GH¢90m amount he was to refund to the state after agreeing to do so.

He paid GH¢30 million upfront in December 2022 and was required to pay GH¢20 million as the first installment of the GH¢60 million outstanding amount by April 28, 2023.

But he was only able to pay GH¢5 million. He was given until July 4 in May to liquidate his assets and pay the state GH¢55 million.

However, this deadline elapsed without any payments made.

The state then submitted a request to the court, seeking a custodial sentence per the agreed terms.

However, in his petition, Mr. Appiah-Danquah said the conviction was a “politically orchestrated move to consolidate financial power.”

He also stated that the GH₵620 million liquidity support was a commercial loan, not fraudulent misappropriation, as Capital Bank had already repaid GH₵336 million in interest over two years.

Citing Essien’s contribution to the country’s financial sector, the petitioner called on the president to grant a pardon to him, not only to restore justice but also to affirm his commitment to a truly new Ghana.

“Your Excellency, history is watching. The people of Ghana are watching. The time to act is now,” he concluded.

Below is the full petition

[gview file=”https://www.theghanareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Petition-Ato-Essien-2.pdf”]

Source The Ghana Report