You are here: HomeNews2019 06 06Article 752503

General News of Thursday, 6 June 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Special Prosecutor has no tall list of MPs for possible prosecution – Amidu

Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu

Several Members of Parliament who were sitting on tenterhooks awaiting their turn to be prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor will breathe a sigh of relief following the latter’s disclosure of any such antics.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu earlier revealed that the house had received a tall list of names of Parliamentarians belonging to both divide to be prosecuted for various offenses. But a quick rebuttal in the form of a press release from Mr Martin Amidu’s outfit debunked any assertions of having a tall list of legislators for possible prosecution.

“The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, the Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, is reported in a publication on Ghana Web of 5th June 2019 to have said in an interview on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia as paraphrased by the report that: “…. Parliament through the Special Prosecutor has received a tall list of parliamentarians, both NDC and NPP members who will be facing possible prosecution by the SP for various offences.”

The Office of the Special Prosecutor wishes for the purpose of transparency and accountability to state unequivocally that the Office has not submitted any tall list of parliamentarians from both the NDC and the NPP to the Leadership of Parliament as the list of parliamentarians or “members who will face possible prosecution by the SP for various offences.”

The Special Prosecutor stressed that the MP of Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga remains the only legislator who has been summoned as he is a first accused in a pending case filed in the High Court and therefore facing possible prosecution.

“The Office of the Special Prosecutor has from time to time made written requests to the Rt. Hon. Speaker to release named Members of Parliament to assist it in conducting investigation into allegations of the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences. Apart from the Hon. Mahama Ayariga, who is a 1st Accused in a pending case filed in the High Court and therefore facing possible prosecution, the Office has not made any decision whether or not to charge any other Member of Parliament for a corruption offence let alone for such member to face possible prosecution by this Office. Should there be any bi-partisan agenda for publishing such untruths the public should be told upfront and boldly of their intentions and not through subterfuge.”



He added that “about eight (8) other Members of Parliament from the NDC and the NPP, aside from the Hon. Mahama Ayariga, have been invited and released by Mr. Speaker for statements to be taken from them for suspected corruption and corruption-related offences. The investigators have not submitted any investigation dockets or recommended to the Special Prosecutor whether or not they ought to be charged with any corruption offences.”

Read the full statement below