Withdraw Martin Amidu’s appointment - Prof Kwaku Asare

Stephen Kwaku Asare a US-based legal practitioner and an accounting professor has backed calls for the revocation of the appointment of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Amidu over his age as Special Prosecutor.

In a series of Facebook posts, Prof Kwaku Azar, as he is also known called on President Nana Akufo Addo not to corrupt the law but “listen” and revoke Mr Amidu’s appointment in the face of the law.

“My advice to his excellency is to withdraw the appointment of Mr. Martin Amidu. We must refocus on prosecuting corruption not corrupting the clear law on retirement age”, he wrote.

He again wrote: “On January 20, 2018 and at various times, including this morning, I have drawn attention to the age requirement of Article 199(1).

Concerned about the looming perils of Article 199(1), I proposed the attached amendment to the Speaker last year. Like my proposed amendment on dual citizenship, no action has been taken. The government must sometimes listen!”.

On a different post, he wrote: “As we approach the vetting of the Special Prosecutor, I must confess that I have significant concerns about the command of Article 199(1) that “A public officer shall, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, retire from the public service on attaining the age of sixty years.”

In a related development, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East and former Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Dominic A. Ayine has filed a suit in the Supreme Court of Ghana challenging the eligibility of Mr Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor, and is praying the august court to cancel the appointment made by His Excellency Nana Addo with immediate effect as Mr Amidu, now 66 years of age- well beyond the retirement threshold of public servants under the 1992 constitution of Ghana- is unqualified for the nomination.

Mr Amidu is due to be vetted next week Tuesday by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, and already, Members of Parliament MPs from Mr Amidu’s former party, NDC, have promised fireworks over his vetting and possible confirmation as first Special Prosecutor of Ghana.