Amidu's office most 'useless', must be scrapped - ASEPA Director

Executive Director for Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mr. Mensah Thompson has described the Office of the Special Prosecutor as the most useless.

According to him, the Special Prosecutor has nothing to prove his worth.

"His argument to decline our request verily defies logic and I wonder where Mr. Martin Amidu had his legal education.

"It is the most useless and redundant office and it must be scrapped," he said.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that he finds it very worrying for the Special Prosecutor to decline their request for him to investigate the thievery that has gone on in the fight against galamsey and the missing excavators.

"Why should you decide to be selective in choosing and deciding on what you want to do when you are occupying a pubic office? Mr. Martin Amidu has proven that he is unable to take charge of his office and can’t do anything with the office he occupies.

"I must say I’m very disappointed in the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Martin Amidu for denying our request. He has clearly demonstrated that he does not have the country at heart and will not do anything in the interest of the country," he added.

He further noted that they will not back down in their quest to ensure that the right thing is done.

He said all other avenues will be explored and if possible, write to international organizations to have galamsey menace and missing excavators investigated.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OPS) has declined a petition by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) to investigate alleged acts of thievery and corruption hindering the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The Office explained that it cannot establish acts of corruption or corrupt related offenses mandated by its binding law to investigate.

“A review of your letter of complaint, however, has led this office to the conclusion that the facts and conjectures upon which you underpin your complaints do not raise any issues of corruption and corruption-related offences as narrowly defined under section 79 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) to warrant an investigation by this office,” a statement signed by Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu read.

ASEPA, invoking Act 959 of the Special Prosecutor Act had alleged that audio circulating on social media purported to be a conversation between Science and Environment Minister, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng and the Central Regional Vice-Chairman of the NPP, Ekow Ewusi, is enough evidence of alleged corrupt acts thwarting the fight against galamsey.