Amidu’s resignation: Rawlings’s death, Agyapa deal are major factors

Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecutor, has suggested that the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings is a major factor in his resignation.

On November 16, 2020, Martin Amidu, the first Special Prosecutor, appointed to the Office of the Special Prosecutor created by President Nana Akufo-Addo to fight corruption, resigned accusing corrupt appointees of the President of frustrating his work.

In his resignation letter which he shared publicly, Amidu alluded to the death of JJ Rawlings, which occurred on 12 November, as a major factor.

Martin Amidu wrote, “The events of 12th November 2020 removed the only protection I had from the threats and plans directed at me for undertaking the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption assessment report and dictates that I resign as the Special Prosecutor immediately.”

He continued: “Fear is the enemy of change and I am prepared from the vacuum created on 12th November 2020 to meet the threats of my demise as the price to pay for serving my country without fear or favour, affection or ill will. I acted professionally throughout in the discharge of my duties and my conscience is the anchor of my strength to face any consequences.”

He added: “I should not ordinarily be announcing my resignation to the public myself but the traumatic experience I went through from 20th October 2020 to 2nd November 2020 when I conveyed in a 13-page letter the conclusions and observations on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the Report on Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions and Other Matters Related Thereto to the President as Chairman of the National Security Council cautions against not bringing my resignation as the Special Prosecutor with immediate [sic] to the notice of the Ghanaian public and the world.”

Martin Amidu explained that in undertaking the analysis of the risk of prevention of corruption and anti-corruption assessment he sincerely believed that he was executing an independent mandate under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L. I. 2374).

“The reaction I received for daring to produce the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption report convinces me beyond any reasonable doubt that I was not intended to exercise any independence as the Special Prosecutor in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and recovery of assets of corruption. My position as the Special Prosecutor has consequently become clearly untenable.”

Read Martin Amidu’s full resignation letter.