Flashback: I’ll catch the thieves – Martin Amidu

Before the 2016 elections, then candidate Nana Akufo-Addo gave a clear indication of his readiness to fight corruption by announcing he was going to create the Office of the Special prosecutor if he wins power.

After winning power, president Nana Addo named former Attorney General, Maritin Amidu as the special prosecutor nominee. During his vetting, Mr Amidu made various statements that heightened public expectations on his duties as a special prosecutor.

As the nominee for the office, Mr Amidu told parliament’s Appointment Committee that when he assumes office he was going to ensure the Office of the Special Prosecutor is strengthened catch “thieves” who may engage in corrupt activities.

Read the full article as first published by classfmonline.com

Special Prosecutor nominee Martin Amidu has warned that he will catch the thieves who are plundering Ghana’s resources if he is approved by parliament.

Mr Amidu told parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, 13 February that: “We have to set up strong institutions if we are to succeed,” warning: “If we don’t set up strong institutions, we are going to replicate the office of the special prosecutor as we did with other institutions, [and] we will have a problem.”

In his view, “The way forward I see is that the [Office of Special Prosecutor] Act, permits us to set up departments that will help us to do our work”.

“When I’m appointed and my deputy is appointed and the board is appointed and we have the complement of staff, I will lead them to explore ways of catching the thief, so that if my employees are taking bribe, I’ll have a way of knowing that they are.

“I mean there are various ways of intelligence and security to do this. The FBI and other bodies have done it, we will do it, so, it’s not going to be a situation in which you’ll think that working in my office is just a holiday, no, no.

“We shall make sure that we get into it, we’ll haul you there because Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion, and, I, when you approve of me, must be the first one above suspicion, I’ve demonstrated it before in positions I’ve held and I’m going to make sure that I myself am above suspicion”, Mr Amidu said.