Akufo-Addo and ‘corrupt’ cronies frustrating OSP’s work – Citizen Eye Ghana

Citizen Eye Ghana (CITEG), a civil society organisation has accused President Nana Akufo-Addo and some senior government officials in the current government are frustrating the efforts of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, towards the fight against corruption.

Executive Director of CITEG, Alexander Kwaku Tetteh, who made these allegations on Battle Ground programme on Power 97.9 FM argued that some powerful elements in the NPP government he knows are hindering the work of the Office of the Special Prosecutor through clandestine ways.

Although appointed by President Akufo-Addo to augment government’s fight against graft, Agyebeng has expressed frustrations about dispensing his duties especially involving powerful persons closer to the NPP government.

Alex Kwaku Tetteh believes the NPP administration is not happy with the operations of the Special Prosecutor following his action against former Minister for Sanitation, Cecilia Dapaah.

Tetteh told host King Nicholas that “Our people [the NPP leadership] are worried about the works of Kissi Agyebeng, especially when he took over the Cecilia Dapaah case.”

The former sanitation minister has been cited in a corruption and corruption related case being investigated by the OSP after her house helps were arrested for allegedly stealing huge sums of dollars and cedis from her Abelenkpe residence.

Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah has refused to declare property and income as demanded by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

The plea of the accused, Cecilia Abena Dapaah is yet to be taken and the docket is yet to be assigned to new judge.

It is for this reason that Tetteh mentioned popular legal practitioner and a nephew to President Akufo-Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, and some powerful people in the NPP as having the blessings of the president to frustrate the OSP for coming after some key people in the government.

“Kissi Agyebeng is a learned person who is doing his work well but because of how intelligent he is, our people don’t like him. They are putting hurdles his way because he is pursuing powerful people,” Tetteh said in Akan and called for Ghanaians to have faith in him to fight corruption in higher offices in the country.

Frustrations

Rcently, Kissi Agyebeng lamented the increasing trend of dismissive rulings against his office whenever he tackled cases involving some powerful persons in government.

The immediate case was when a High Court in Accra quashed a report by the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) that found wrongdoing by two individuals, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of the Customs Division at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and Joseph Adu Kyei, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Division, in the popular Labianca case.

The court also awarded costs of GHC 10,000 against the OSP.

The report alleged that the two officials had used their positions to grant favourable tax treatment to Labianca Company, a frozen foods company owned by Council of State member Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh.

Kissi Agyebeng, after his concerns, have been advised by some key persons in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).