Amidu’s claim of political interference in Agyapa report is baseless – Akufo-Addo

The Presidency has debunked an allegation by Martin Amidu that there was political interference by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on how a report on the corruption risk assessment on the Agyapa Royalties deal should be handled.

Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, writing on behalf of the President, said there was no such political interference and the incidents Mr Amidu refers to in that claim do not constitute interference.

The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu on Monday, November 16, 2020, served notice of his resignation from office with immediate effect.

In a letter addressed to the President, Mr Amidu said his resignation had been occasioned partly by Nana Akufo-Addo's inability to ensure his independence and freedom of action.

In the letter to the President, Amidu alleged that he met Nana Akufo-Addo on October 23, 2020, in his office where he was told by the President to hold on to the Agyapa Corruption risk assessment report for one week.

He further revealed that, although he reluctantly agreed to the demand, he told the President he could not continue being the Special Prosecutor due to his interferences into his work.

"Your Excellency insisted that I should withhold any further action on the report for one week. I reluctantly agreed to your terms but gave you notice immediately that I did not intend to continue as a Special Prosecutor because of your interference in the performance of my functions under the law," Amidu's letter said.

"You eventually invited me to your office in the evening of Sunday, 1 November, 2020 where I again asserted that I was not going to bargain over the Independence of my functions as the Special Prosecutor. I refused to take the copy of alleged comments from the Minister of Finance you offered me as that would have compromised my independence as Special Prosecutor. I also refused to shelve my report to enable you to handle the matter which explains my press release to the public on the morning of 2nd November 2020 and follow-up with the distribution of the full sixty-four (64) age page Agyapa Royalties Transaction," Amidu stated.

However, responding to this claim, the Secretary to President Akufo-Addo said the allegation was baseless.

“It is difficult to find tangible basis for the claim of political interference in the performance of your functions from 20 October, 2020 to 1 November, 2020. The President’s meeting with you and the request to give the public officers a hearing cannot sincerely or properly give rise to such an allegation,” Mr Bediatuo argues.

Many anti-corruption campaigners have said Mr Amidu’s resignation is bad for the fight against corruption in Ghana.