The leader of the minority caucus of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has said that he has been left astounded by reports that staff of the Office of the Special Prosecutor including the Special Prosecutor, himself, have not been paid for 16 months.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Haruna Iddrisu said that this shows that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not serious about his fight against corruption.
He said that this also means that the office which is supposed to be spearheading the country’s fight against corruption is not functioning.
Haruna, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, added that the fact that the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, is also owed arrears is very worrying.
“Incredibly astonishing. I just can’t believe it. The Office of the Special Prosecutor is simply not functional as was expected. President Nana Addo from day one has never been committed to the fight against corruption.
“He just set up the bureaucracy for the finesse of it. That I have an Office of the Special Prosecutor to complement the Attorney General in fighting corruption. In any case, which matter of corruption is before the court?” he asked.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has reportedly not been paid since he assumed office 16 months ago.
According to a report by myjoyonline.com, all the staff at the Office of the Special Prosecutor except the Deputy Special Prosecutor have also not been paid all their salaries.
The report also indicated that documents available to JoyNews show that the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, is also owed arrears.
It added that the lack of payment has left the affected staff becoming agitated.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, according to the JoyNews report claimed that the situation is very worrying since the lack of payment leaves the affected staff in a vulnerable state, which might derail the fight against corruption.
Kissi Agyebeng, therefore, called on the government to put the necessary measures in place to ensure that his staff are given their compensations.
Kissi Agyebeng officially assumed office on Thursday, August 5, 2021, as the country's second Special Prosecutor after being sworn into office by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Watch the second part of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah's interview on GhanaWeb TV below:
Also watch the nomination for the GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Youth Edition below:
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