Issues listed by Amidu are insufficient grounds for his resignation – Kweku Baako ghanavisions.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ghanavisions.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has described as disappointing the nomination of Kissi Agyebeng to the Office of Special Prosecutor following Martin Amidu’s resignation. According to him, the nomination goes to prove that the President Akufo-Addo is unwilling to fight corruption. “You don’t want people who shine their eyes on malfeasance, misappropriation, embezzlement and corruption. So it a disappointing appointment but let’s see what he is able to do,” he told
JoyNews.
Legal practitioner, Kissi Agyebeng according to a letter from the Attorney General to the President has been earmarked to replace former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu. Reiterating his disapproval of Mr Agyebeng’s nomination, the Tamale South MP opined the experience and expertise of Mr Agyebeng are unparalleled to that of Martin Amidu, hence making him unfit for the job of Special Prosecutor.
In a letter to the Presidency, the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, said he was satisfied that Kissi Agyebeng possesses the requisite expertise on corruption and corruption-related matters, is of high moral character and proven integrity and satisfies all the other requirements stipulated in section 13(1) and (2) of Act 959. Section 13(8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) requires the President to appoint a person qualified for appointment as Special Prosecutor to that position, within six months of the Office of Special Prosecutor becoming vacant. In 2019, the government-appointed Kissi Agyebeng as the Chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal. Agyebeng took over from Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah who resigned from the Tribunal on July 1, 2019.
In a Twitter post, Bright Simons said: Mr. Agyebeng is a fine lawyer. But if he wants to be SP as reported then he must COMMIT to recuse himself from ALL Agyapa matters. Given his close links to White & Case & ALA (run by Agyapa supporter, Mr. Okyere-Darko) else CSOs will oppose his appointment. Amidu resigns over Agyapa deal Martin Amidu resigned as the Special Prosecutor over interference in his work by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the controversial Agyapa Royalties Transaction. Martin Amidu, Special Prosecutor Pulse Ghana Amidu alleged that the President attempted to convince him to include a response from the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta in his report which he declined because that would have compromised my independence as the Special Prosecutor.
He did, however, concede that Mr. Agyebeng is qualified for the position. “Did the President search well enough and not found a worthy replacement for Martin Amidu other than Kissi Agyebeng? Why did the President settle on Agyebeng, when Agyebeng after seven years will be around 50 years?” the former MP asked. “The Special Prosecutor’s position which is a risky job needs someone who is further advanced in life to resist any form of temptations due to how complicated the fight against corruption is” Mr. Inusah stressed. “As a lawyer and former MP, my only concern is his age,” the former Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament added in an interview on Monday on Adom FM’s current affairs program, Burning Issues.