Accra, Ghana//-Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has punched holes on the nomination of Kissi Agyebeng as the proposed Special Prosecutor.
For instance, he is interested in how legal practitioner and Chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal, Kissi Agyebeng will “independently and impartially” handle some corruption cases when he is approved by President Akufo-Addo and Parliament as the country’s second Special Prosecutor.
This Mr Amidu said is because of the relationship between the nominee (Kissi Agyebeng) and the individuals/institutions involved in those corrupt acts.
He said in his latest press release: “Asaase Radio and the nominator of the proposed new Special Prosecutor know or ought to have known the extent of the involvement of their surrogate as a lawyer for suspects in pending suspected corruption cases in which the Government showed an undue interest in the Office of the Special Prosecutor which I await to see how independently and impartially those cases will be handled to conclusion should the President submit the name of the nominee to Parliament, he is approved, and then appointed”.
The 3-paged press release by Martin Amidu follows the nomination of Kissi Agyebeng by Attorney General, Godfred Dame on Tuesday as the Special Prosecutor.
The Attorney General had explained that the nomination was in line with section 13 (8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which states that “when the position of the SP becomes vacant, the President shall, within six months, appoint another qualified person for that portfolio.”
However Mr Amidu said the nominee is a personal friend and classmate of the Attorney General, and the owner of Asaase Radio, Gabby Otchere-Darko, who is a staunch member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) with ties to the seat of government.
“It must, therefore, be worrying to any patriotic Ghanaian not afraid of the culture of silence to see Asaase Radio undertaking political propaganda beginning on 25th April 2021 to 26th April 2021 to prepare the minds of the Ghanaian and international public to accept the surrogate of the alter ego of the Asaase Radio station and Africa Legal Associates as the Special Prosecutor as mandated under section 4(1) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2018 (Act 959).
“In the attempt of persons implicated in the Agyapa Royalties Transaction corruption assessment report to pressurize the President to appoint their surrogate as the Special Prosecutor to safeguard their interests, the online reportage of Asaase Radio resorted to direct fabrications, lies, and omissions against me in its narration of the reasons for my resignation”, he stated.
“By all means, let anybody root for his or her preferred Special Prosecutor as an insurance against prosecution for corruption in Government but leave me out of the propaganda. I am honouring an undertaking by my silence in not commenting on public affairs. Stop tempting me to speak by the defaming propaganda against me. It will not be in anyone’s interest,” Mr Amidu said.
Below is his press release
African Eye Report
