I can’t sit unconcerned for ‘thieves’ to loot Ghana - Martin Amidu

President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Martin Amidu has assured he cannot sit unconcerned for thieves to siphon the country’s limited resources under his watch if given the nod by Parliament to operate.

He indicated his readiness to deal with corrupt practices head-on maintaining that the increasing cases of corrupt practices involving public officers should not be allowed to continue

“Ghana is not a cow to be milked, and, so, will do everything possible, if approved by parliament, to block all leakages and fight against graft”, he said.

He continued: “I can’t live in harmony with criminals and traitors”, Mr Amidu told Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Tuesday, 13 February during his vetting.

“[As for] decent people, I will live with them but criminals, I can’t. …if you want anybody who will look the other way, just disapprove me”.

The former Attorney General underscored the need for the strengthening of state institutions in its quest to fight corruption stating that he will require the collaborative support of other agencies to succeed.

“We have to set up strong institutions if we are to succeed. ….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.”

“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 bribes, 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 Martin Amidu said.