The Head of Mission for the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Dr. John Apea, has disclosed that convicted Capital Bank founder, William Ato Essien, has personally asked him to apologise to his lawyers.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Dr. Apea revealed that Mr. Essien ignored the advice of his lawyers and opted for a plea bargain, a decision he now regrets.
“You never know the voices speaking to a person,” Dr. Apea said. “But he told me to apologise to his lawyers because they advised against the plea deal. They believed with the available evidence, he wouldn’t have been jailed.”
Dr. Apea, who has begun processes for a presidential pardon for Mr. Essien, maintained that it is the right course of action.
Acknowledging the option of public fundraising campaigns to pay off the restitution amount, he dismissed it as inadequate.
“Why raise money to pay for something that is fundamentally erroneous? The issue is deeper. It’s not just about money; it’s about justice,” he stated.
He further expressed concern about Mr. Essien’s deteriorating health, which he believes strengthens the case for a compassionate release.
“We should deal with this issue on the ground of sympathy and empathy. Ato Essien is in a bad state and struggling, and doctors have confirmed that he should be released on health grounds. That’s sympathy. But the empathy part goes deeper than that. How many Atos do we have?” he questioned.
Mr. Essien was convicted in December 2022 for stealing over GH₵90 million belonging to Capital Bank after failing to fulfil the terms of a plea bargain agreement.
The court, presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, held that Essien failed to pay the restitution to the state as agreed with the Attorney-General.
However, Dr. Apea questioned the inclusion of high interest rates in the final amount Mr. Essien was ordered to pay, arguing that he should have been charged for the principal amount only.
He also pointed out that customers’ anger is being misdirected.
“A lot of people are angry because they lost money, and that is fine, but they are pointing at the wrong person,” he stated.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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