Amidu ran away from challenges; that is bad leadership – Anti-Corruption board chair

The Chief Executive Officer of the Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF), Nana Yaw Osei Bonsu, has said Martin Amidu ran away from challenges following his decision to resign as Special Prosecutor.

He explained that Mr. Amidu knew very well that he would face challenges but accepted the appointment and gave Ghanaians hope, only for him to quit the position, citing interference as one of the reasons for his inability to deliver.

Mr. Amidu resigned on Monday, November 16 after citing a number of reasons.

In his letter to the president, the former Attorney General stated that “for the purpose of the records, and contrary to public perceptions, that my appointment letter was received on 5th February 2020 (almost two (2)-years after my appointment)”.


“The copy addressees made no efforts to honour any of the conditions of appointment in terms of emoluments and benefits of the appointment ever since my warrant of appointment was issued on 23rd February 2018 to the date of my letter of resignation. The Deputy Special Prosecutor has also not been paid any emoluments since her appointment, and there is the need to redress that situation for her now that I am out of the way.

“The events of 12th November 2020 removed the only protection I had from the threats and plans directed at me for undertaking the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption assessment report and dictates that I resign as the Special Prosecutor immediately.

“I should not ordinarily be announcing my resignation to the public myself but the traumatic experience I went through from 20th October 2020 to 2nd November 2020 when I conveyed in a thirteen (13) page letter the conclusions and observations on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the Report On Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions and Other Matters Related Thereto to the President as Chairman of the National Security Council cautions against not bringing my resignation as the Special Prosecutor with immediate to the notice of the Ghanaian public and the world.

“The reaction I received for daring to produce the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption report convinces me beyond any reasonable doubt that I was not intended to exercise any independence as the Special Prosecutor in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and recovery of assets of corruption. My position as the Special Prosecutor has consequently become clearly untenable.”

But speaking on the Business Focus programme with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 Monday, November 16, Mr Nana Yaw Osei Bonsu, who is also the Board Chair of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, said there are challenges and issues with every work that people choose to do.

The least one can do, he said, is to run away from those challenges because you are likely to meet those same challenges everywhere you go.

“He had the authority to take cases to court and I think he came out with a report on malfeasance or potential malfeasance in his report, so why does he resign instead of taking the cases to court?

“It is not a matter of public outcry or public decision, it is his judgement to take cases he finds viable to court. He came out with a report on Agyapa and other issues. He is the only one with the authority to go to court so why didn’t he go to court instead of quitting?

“The Ghanaian public was waiting for action so it is not a matter of whether you got the support or you didn’t get the support, you had the mandate to do certain functions.

“Everybody’s job has some problems, there are issues but you have got to address it and so you don’t run away from it. He talked about interference but I say take the matter to court and let them go an interfere as well.”

He added: “He took the position knowing that it has its own difficulties. He is a politician, a lawyer and an astute politician and he took the position and now he turns back because he didn’t get support. That is bad leadership.”