I’ll warn my appointees against messing with Amidu - Mahama

NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, says he will warn his appointees not to take the office of the Special Prosecutor for granted if he wins the December polls.

Mr Mahama also says he will give the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu the space to do his work to the best of his abilities.

Speaking to Accra-based Adom FM, the former President said the current NPP administration is making it difficult for the Special prosecutor to function effectively.

“If we come, we leave the office of the Special Prosecutor to work freely, we will maintain it because it was established by Parliament. And the point is I will warn my appointees against messing with him (Amidu) because, if he gets hold of any of them for corruption, I cannot intervene. And that should be the attitude of a President towards corruption”.

OSP

The Office of the Special Prosecutor of Ghana was established after an act of the Parliament passed the Office of Special Prosecutor Bill in 2017.

The office serves as an independent investigating and prosecution body to make inquiries into corruption, bribery, or other criminal cases at the national level whether they be in public or private sector

The Government intended to lessen the burden on existing anti-corruption agencies and remove the institutional roadblocks that exist as hindrances to the fight against corruption. With the end result being to make anti-corruption agencies in the country more effective at discharging their duties.

In addition, government experts have expressed the ineffectiveness of the Attorney-General as an effective prosecution and law enforcement tool in the fight against corruption because the appointment and dismissal of the Attorney-General is determined by the president.

Therefore, the Office of the special prosecutor serves as the autonomous body to handle sensitive cases which the Attorney General will otherwise be ineffective at handling.

Martin Amidu is the first to hold the position of Special Prosecutor.