I’m surprised Amidu didn’t throw punches – George Loh

Legal practitioner and a member of the main opposition National Democratic Congress George Loh says he was surprised Special Prosecutor nominee Martin Amidu did not throw punches at his vetting on Tuesday.

According to him, the former attorney general’s posture towards the job is not conducive for the important office being bestowed in his hands.

Mr. Amidu was unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee of Parliament after almost nine hours of questioning. He is expected to be approved by the plenary of the House and then subsequently sworn in by the President for the important position of Special Prosecutor.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Friday, Mr. Loh said although the competence of the nominee is unquestionable, his temperament is problematic.

“What I saw was ‘I am the best in the country right now. Without me, nothing can work’ attitude during the vetting. Some of us were not so surprised about the many things we saw at the vetting. I am surprised not to have seen him getting up to give someone a blow during the vetting,” he said.

For his part, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) Dr. Kojo Asante said Mr. Amidu’s commitment towards the job is good for the country.

“Certainly, I like his passion and commitment and I think we all need to support him in making his work a success”.

He however noted: “For me a low point of his vetting was when he was relating most answers of his to perception”.

Meanwhile, private legal practitioner and broadcaster Samson Lardy Anyenini says Mr. Amidu should have apologised to North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa after he wrongly accused him of authoring an article he found offensive.

“I think it was so wrong for him to insist that as far as he is concerned he believes that it was Okudzeto, and he keeps that believe, that’s so wrong. He knows that he is dealing with legal processes, and that is what he is good at. And in legal process, you can’t prove that he is the one when someone else has come and said I’m the one who did it. He absolutely does not have any prove, and he didn’t give any.

“My expectation was that at that point he would show the whole world that I’m not as difficult as you think. I expected him to say that having come to that knowledge, I regret I didn’t apologise early enough but it is never late to apologise; Okudzeto I’m sorry,” Anyenini told Bola Ray on Starr Chat.