Home News Martin Amidu resigns as Special Prosecutor
News - November 16, 2020

Martin Amidu resigns as Special Prosecutor

Ghana.com can report that Martin Amidu has resigned as special prosecutor.

According to Mr. Amidou, he resigned because he believed that President Nana Akufo Addo had not done enough to maintain the independence of his office.

He said: “The 20/11/12 incident gave me the only protection against the threats and plans targeted the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption assessment report, and instructed me to immediately resign from the post of special prosecutor.”

In a letter to Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr. Amidou accused the president of finding a suitable successor for him.

“When you invited me to your office on January 10, 2018, one of the conditions for me to accept my nomination as a special prosecutor was that you made a firm promise to me that you would respect and ensure the government’s independence and Respect for freedom of movement. Special prosecutor.” He said.

Mr. Amidou was appointed as the special prosecutor President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on January 11, 2018, and was subsequently approved Parliament.

When Martin Amidu was sworn in, President Akufo-Addo said: “We hope that the special prosecutor will perform his duties bravely in accordance with the rule of law, without worrying Malicious or malicious.”

His public hatred of corruption made his appointment all the more exciting.

It is foreseeable that his strict and firm personality is exactly what the country needs to combat so-called corruption and abuse of power.

But almost three years into the job, Amidu has come under intense pressure in what many believe has been an underwhelming performance.

Amidu has always maintained that he has not lost his penchant to go after corrupt officials, but persons in high places were frustrating his work.

In 2018, he complained about how some critical ministries and agencies had refused to produce public records on demand to aid the office in critical investigations regarding issues of corruption in the Akufo-Addo government.

He made the revelation at the National Audit Forum organised the Ghana Audit Service. Martin Amidu added that his office was ‘under-resourced’ contributing to its inability to work effectively.

“You ask for information you can’t get it; you ask for docket; the docket cannot be produced. You ask a minister for a record; the record cannot be produced. How do you fight corruption when those appointed the president who has a vision are not coordinating with the office of the special prosecutor to achieve

his mandate? That is the challenge we have to face.”

Earlier today, investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni whose work led to the removal of the PPA boss from office the President told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr that the Special Prosecutor must be bold and resign in order to draw attention to the problems of the office.

“My surprise is why Martin Amidu hasn’t resigned. Because he keeps giving one reason to the other, if all of these is continuing and you have no solution to it, the best is to resign so they could be some attention to the challenges in that office.

“You have somebody in office and for 3 years the only work he’s done is the Agyapa deal. So if there are challenges that are not being resolved, the best thing for him [Martin Amidu] is to resign”.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

‘Money Is Not My Problem’ – Duffuor

A flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Duff…