Amidu should go after bigger fishes than chasing Ayariga for GH¢30k - Martin Kpebu

Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu wants Ghana’s Special Prosecutor Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu to focus on bigger cases involving millions than chasing the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga GH¢30,000.

According to him on TV3’s New Day monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Mr. Amidu is better of pursing cases that are running into several millions of Ghana cedis than the GH¢30,000 he is chasing Mahama Ayariga for.

He concurs with Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako that Mr. Amidu is pursuing a personal vendetta against the lawmaker over what is not immediately known.

“I am thinking that this first case does not quite fit the bill of high end crime. This is minor in the scheme of affairs. That is why I am wondering why he chose that one. When it comes to custom duties, you know there are so many agencies and even professional associations where people are granted exemptions and they are abused. So in terms of the bill this is small. You know doctors, teachers and other categories of professionals get exemptions to bring in cars and these cars are sold on. So for Mr Ayariga’s own to brought him to court is strange”, he stated.

He questioned why Mr Amidu will waste resources in pursuing a small case that can easily be handled by the police when documents of bigger cases of corruption are collecting dust in his office.

Mr Amidu has sued the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central Constituency for evading tax on imported Toyota Landcruiser vehicles and illegal dealing in foreign exchange without a license.

The lawmaker is said to have transferred GHC6000 instead of GHC36000 to an agent in Dubai.

But Mr Kpebu believes the money involved is too small saying Mr Amidu should sue both current and former corrupt appointees who have squandered bigger money belonging to the State.

He wondered if Mr Amidu is pursuing a personal vendetta to score cheap points.

“I still stand by it that the money involved is small. These matters must go to the police,” he said.

Some members of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have described the action by the Special Prosecutor as a personal vendetta to pin down Mr Ayariga.

But some elements in within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) think otherwise arguing that the facts of the case should be looked at.