‘Intemperate’ Amidu was picked to spite NDC – Kwakye Ofosu

Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the NDC's parliamentary nominee for Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese (AAK), has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed Martin Amidu as the Special Prosecutor only to spite the NDC.

According to him, Amidu has “long shown himself to be intemperate with a misguided superiority complex”.

Kwakye Ofosu, in his Facebook post on Tuesday, added that he was “quite frankly surprised that anyone thought Martin Amidu would chalk any significant strides as Special Prosecutor”.

His comments followed reports in the media that Martin Amidu, a.k.a “Citizen Vigilante” had described a petition by STRANEK-AFRICA for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the Agyapa Royalties deal as “opportunistic and populist”....." geared towards taking credit for processes that have already commenced independently".

Martin Amidu in a letter to the group on Tuesday, September 22, stated: “It is a notorious matter of public knowledge and notice that this office on 10 September 2020, invoked its mandate pursuant to Section 2(1), 29, and 73 of Act 959 and Regulations 31(1) and (2) of L.I. 2374 to examine any issues arising therefrom.”

The letter continued: “It is further in the public domain that Parliament and other public institutions have already responded to this office’s request for information and documents.”

It added: “Your letter, therefore, appears to this office as an opportunistic and populist enterprise on your part to take credit for processes already independently commenced by this office. In any case, your letter containing mere speculations without more does not present any legal basis for this office to commit further resources to your request from the public purse.”

In November 2007, the Parliament of Ghana passed a law to establish the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

Martin Amidu was sworn into office as Special Prosecutor in February 2018 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

His appointment was to ensure independent and non-partisan investigations into corruption cases, as well as prosecute offenders.

The Office is mandated to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption and corruption-related offences under the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

The OSP is also supposed to investigate allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) which might implicate public officers, politically exposed persons and persons in the private sector implicated in the commission of alleged crimes.

Since his appointment, however, Martin Amidu has been legendary for complaints about why he has not prosecuted anybody yet nor retrieved and stolen monies, despite the palpable evidence of corruption.