The Ministry of Justice has revealed plans to reintroduce the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Act to strengthen the legal framework for confiscating assets tied to criminal activities.
Currently, Act 30 does not grant the Attorney General’s office the authority to seize property linked to criminal enterprises, limiting its ability to fully enforce prosecutions.
During a visit by the Vice President on Thursday, February 5, Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine explained that the office is drafting a new Criminal Proceeds Recovery Bill. The proposed legislation would give the Attorney General the power to carry out both criminal confiscations and civil recoveries of assets connected to criminal activity.
Dr. Ayine noted that the bill would address a significant gap in existing law, allowing the government to recover illicitly obtained assets more efficiently, bolster public resources, and prevent criminals from benefiting from their illegal activities.
“I am preparing the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Bill, which will allow us to conduct not only criminal confiscations but also civil recoveries. The civil route has a lower standard of proof—it’s based on the balance of probabilities. This means that once an asset is linked to criminal activity, we can apply to the court to confiscate it and, in the process, augment public resources,” he said.