Amidu bent on prosecuting Ayariga – Amaliba

The Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, is determined to prosecute Bawku Central lawmaker Mahama Ayariga at all cost, Mr Abraham Amaliba, a private legal practitioner and a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said.

Mr Amidu recently secured a court order, which mandates mobile telephone company MTN to release to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, conversations between Mr Ayariga and an officer at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) as part of investigations into the lawmaker’s operations.

The court gave the order on 22 January 2019 at the request of Mr Amidu.

Mr Amidu told the court presided over by Mrs Ruby Naa Adjeley-Quayson that the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) had already obtained an order to conduct a forensic examination on three mobile phone numbers from the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

He urged the court to exercise its powers under the Electronic Transaction Act, Act 2008 (Act 772) of Section 100, 101 and 103.

Mr Amidu, who is known for his tough stance against corruption, recently hinted at starting prosecuting corruption-related cases this year.

Speaking on the Citizen Show on Accra 100.5FM hosted by Kwabena Bobie Ansah on Thursday, 24 January 2019, Mr Amaliba said: “The Special Prosecutor is bent in prosecuting Mahama Ayariga and, as part of his strategy to send Ayariga to court, he went to court to demand some communications between Ayariga and GRA officials.

“Such type of requests should have been made on notice. People have a right to privacy, the Constitution says those rights should be protected.

“Although the state has the right to interfere, the rule of natural justice requires that you will give the person notice that you want the court to help you get some communications between him and another person.”

He added: “I am aware that this decision is going to be challenged in court.”