Tsatsu Tsikata Says He Holds No Grudge Over Imprisonment Under Kufuor Era

Renowned Ghanaian lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata has revealed that he harbours no bitterness toward individuals involved in his imprisonment during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

He made the disclosure at the UPSA Law School Honorific Lecture and Awards Ceremony held in Accra on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, under the theme “Celebrating the Lifetime Achievements of Lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata.” The event brought together legal practitioners, academics, students, and public figures to honour his contributions to Ghana’s legal and public policy landscape.

Reflecting on his past ordeal, Mr Tsikata stated that he has deliberately chosen forgiveness over resentment, despite the circumstances that led to his incarceration.

“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 said.

While expressing his personal stance of reconciliation, he emphasised that he would not wish such an experience on anyone, regardless of political affiliation or background.

“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, highlighting concerns about due process and the protection of civil liberties.

Mr Tsikata’s imprisonment followed a high-profile legal battle that sparked widespread national and international debate on justice, governance, and the rule of law in Ghana. A former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), he was convicted in 2008 on charges of causing financial loss to the state during the Kufuor administration.

The case originated from a loan guarantee he authorised in the 1990s for a private company that subsequently defaulted on its obligations. Prosecutors argued that the decision resulted in financial loss to the state, while his defence maintained that the action was taken in the national interest and within the scope of his official mandate.

Following the trial, Mr Tsikata was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by an Accra Fast Track High Court. He served part of his sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, one of the country’s main correctional facilities.

The case attracted intense scrutiny, with critics describing the trial as politically motivated, particularly given the broader context of a change in government. Others, however, viewed the prosecution as a sign of accountability and the enforcement of public sector discipline.

In 2009, he was granted a presidential pardon by the late former President John Evans Atta Mills. The following year, in 2010, the Supreme Court of Ghana quashed his conviction, ruling that the trial had been flawed and amounted to a miscarriage of justice, effectively clearing him of all wrongdoing.

Today, the Tsikata case remains one of the most widely discussed legal and political episodes in Ghana’s history. It is frequently cited in debates about judicial independence, political transitions, and the intersection of law and governance.

His recent remarks not only revisit that significant chapter but also underscore themes of forgiveness, justice, and the importance of safeguarding democratic institutions.