Akufo-Addo won’t ‘banter’ Amidu over allegations - Eugene Arhin

Presidential Spokesperson Eugene Arhin says President Akufo-Addo will not engage in back and forth with the Special prosecutor over the reasons for his resignation.

Some Ghanaians are nursing hopes that Martin Amidu reacts to government’s response to the claims in his departure letter. Mr Amidu who resigned his post citing interference from the President is known for his epistles in reaction to public commentary about him.

In a Facebook post, the President’s spokesperson said: “The statement put out by the Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, which was addressed to the former Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, will be the ONLY statement from the Presidency on this matter. The President is focused on delivering on his mandate, and securing #4MoreToDoMore on 7th December”.

Meanwhile, outspoken academician Professor Ransford Gyampo has expressed regret over the resignation of Mr. Amidu.

According to him, the now-resigned Special Prosecutor should have preempted most of the challenges he complained about while in office.

Ghana’s first Special Prosecutor resigned from office on Monday, November 16 citing interference by President Akufo-Addo following his report on the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal.

The Presidency has denied interfering in the work of Mr Amidu.

Commenting on the development, the University of Ghana lecturer said Mr Amidu is experienced enough to have known the challenges of transitional democracies such as Ghana.

“Didn’t Amidu know that in our part of the world, corruption is the rule, rather the rule, than the exception and it will fight anyone who fights it? Didn’t he know that transitional democracies are always quick to create institutions just to render them toothless by open or surreptitious executive interference and by denying them the needed resources to function? Didn’t he know that in developing democracies, some people are untouchable, and that if you touch them, there will be consequences? Didn’t he know that it is normal in a developing democracy for people in power to react the way they may have reacted about his report that exposes some wrongdoing?

“Didn’t he know that he was only a mere Special Prosecutor and not an Independent Public Prosecutor? The two are completely different. The Special Prosecutor cannot be practically independent, stricto senso, as it operates in the shadows of the Attorney-General, who is a partisan appointee and can actually stop the Special Prosecutor from carrying out certain investigations,” he wrote in an article Wednesday.

He said the resignation of Mr Amidu will negatively impact on the office of the Special Prosecutor.