I’ve never harboured any grudges against those involved in my imprisonment - Tsikata

Seasoned lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata has disclosed that he holds no resentment toward those who played roles in his imprisonment during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

He made this known while speaking at the UPSA Law School’s honourific lecture and awards ceremony on April 15, 2026.

The event, themed “Celebrating the Lifetime Achievements of Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata,” was held in recognition of his longstanding contributions to Ghana’s legal and public sectors.

Looking back on one of the most controversial periods of his life, Tsatsu Tsikata indicated that he has consciously chosen to let go of any bitterness tied to his incarceration, despite the circumstances under which it occurred.

“By God’s grace, I have never harboured any grudges or felt bitterness against any of those who were involved in all that happened to me during the Kufuor regime,” he stated.

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Although he expressed forgiveness, he was clear in condemning the nature of the experience itself, stressing that such an episode should not be repeated under any circumstances, regardless of political differences.

“However, I do not wish such a desecration of justice as I experienced on anyone, no matter their political affiliation. I do not want to hear of the police going to a church on Sunday to arrest anyone,” he added.

Background

The legal troubles of Tsikata date back to his tenure as Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

In 2008, he was convicted on charges of causing financial loss to the state during the Kufuor administration.

The case centred on a loan guarantee he approved in the 1990s for a private company that later defaulted on its financial obligations.

Prosecutors maintained that his decision resulted in a significant loss to the state.

However, his defence team argued that the move was made in the national interest and fell within the scope of his official responsibilities at the time.

Following the trial, he was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by an Accra Fast Track High Court.

The ruling became one of the most debated legal decisions in Ghana, with critics arguing that the prosecution was politically motivated, particularly given the transition of power at the time.

Tsikata served part of his sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison before receiving a presidential pardon in 2009 from the late former President John Evans Atta Mills.

In a significant turn of events, the Supreme Court of Ghana in 2010 overturned his conviction, citing flaws in the trial process and concluding that there had been a miscarriage of justice.

This ruling ultimately cleared him of all wrongdoing, bringing closure to a case that had remained a focal point of legal and political debate in Ghana for years.



AK/BAI