Charles Kofi Adu Boahen is a Ghanaian politician affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is the son of Professor Albert Adu Boahen, a renowned historian and the NPP's flagbearer in the 1992 presidential elections. Charles Adu Boahen has an extensive background in finance, with over 19 years of experience in corporate finance, investment banking, asset management, and private equity. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Before entering public service, he founded Black Star Advisors, an investment bank, and Primrose Properties Ghana, a real estate development company.
In 2017, Adu Boahen relinquished his U.S. citizenship to serve as Deputy Minister for Finance under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He was later elevated to Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance during the president's second term.
In November 2022, investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas released a documentary titled "Galamsey Economy," alleging that Adu Boahen had engaged in influence peddling. The exposé claimed that he solicited $200,000 from undercover journalists posing as investors, purportedly to facilitate a meeting with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Following these allegations, President Akufo-Addo dismissed Adu Boahen from his ministerial position and referred the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for investigation.
The OSP's investigation concluded in October 2023. The report acknowledged that Adu Boahen's actions amounted to "trading in influence or influence peddling," which is closely associated with corruption. However, it noted that there was no actual criminal prohibition of his acts under current Ghanaian law, limiting the OSP's mandate to prosecute. Consequently, the investigation was closed, though the OSP recommended legislative reforms to address such gaps in the legal framework.
Despite being cleared of criminal charges, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) criticised the OSP's findings, describing Adu Boahen's conduct as "corruption of monumental proportions" and vowing to pursue further investigations should they return to power.
This case has ignited discussions about the adequacy of Ghana's anti-corruption laws, particularly concerning influence peddling, and has underscored the necessity for comprehensive legal reforms to effectively combat corruption in the country's political landscape.
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