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General News of Tuesday, 24 November 2020

Source: mynewsgh.com

Martin Amidu deserves no anti-corruption crusader tag – Dr. Amoako Baah

The former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu The former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu

According to Political Scientists, Dr. Amoako Baah, the embattled former Special Prosecutor (SP), Martin Amidu, has no single achievement to win him anti-corruption crusader tag after resigning from office citing interference in his work by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other unseen hands in the current administration.

Martin Amidu said he has laid his life for Ghana. Ok I will accept that because you’ve served in many governments but your capacity as an anti-corruption crusader, what can you specifically point to that Martin Amidu has given to Ghana,” Dr. Richard Amoako Baah quizzed.

Speaking on Kumasi-based Ultimate FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com, he critiqued the records of the former Attorney General under Mills administration and challenged him to point out any achievement he chalked while in office.

“You brought out the Woyome issue. Fine! But tell me specifically what he has done in this fight against corruption that he can point to? What?”

Mr Amidu on November 16, 2020, resigned from his position and making a litany of allegations against the government and some appointees.

In his letter to the president announcing his decision, he was quoted to have said: "In undertaking the analysis of the risk of prevention of corruption and anti-corruption assessment I sincerely believed that I was executing an independent mandate under the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Act, 2017 (Act 959) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L. I. 2374). 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.”

He added: “It is essential for me to state 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. I accepted the offer on 10th January 2018 to be nominated to be Special Prosecutor because Mr. President, and Ghanaians knew I have been an anti-corruption crusader all my life and not an anti-corruption entrepreneur. This explains why I have never put the emoluments and benefits of the Office as central to my commitment and my passion for the establishment of an independent, effective, efficient and impartial anti-corruption Office of the Special Prosecutor before the end of the first term of Mr. President. This has not been possible for several reasons.”