Martin Amidu 'descends' on Kissi Agyebeng for ‘unjustified’ attack on judiciary

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has once again slammed his successor Kissi Agyebeng, this time around for the former's recent outburst at the judiciary.

In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, Amidu accused Kissi Agyebeng of deploying “McCarthyism and witch-hunting tactics” in his office, which shows he (Agyebeng) lacks the honour and integrity to lead the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

Amidu, a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, made these remarks while reacting to Kissi Agyebeng's criticism of the court after his case Labiaca case was thrown out and OSP fined GH¢10,000.

He said that the special prosecutor accused the court of interfering in his work without merit and evidence.

“Unfortunately, the Special Prosecutor has demonstrated time and time again that he is an unrepentant personification of McCarthyism and witch-hunting who has no respect for the 1992 Constitution, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) and the two subsidiary legislations I spent the balance of the first year of the OSP in 2018 facilitating to be enacted to enable the operationalization of the OSP.

“The latest display of witch-hunting and McCarthyism was on 29 November 2023 when the Special Prosecutor called his rented press and media to incite the media and the public maliciously and intentionally against the judicial branch of government simply because of an adverse ruling by the High Court in the Republic v 1. The Office of the Special Prosecutor 2. Emmanuel Amadu Basintale, Ex Parte 1. Col. Kwadwo Damoah 2. Joseph Adu Kyei, Suit No. GJ/1232/2022, High Court (General Jurisdiction 5), Accra, 27 November 2023 (Unreported) granting an application for certiorari and prohibition against the OSP,” he wrote.

The former attorney said that any serious prosecutor would have waited for the full judgment of the court and filed an appeal if he thinks the court erred but Kusi Agyebeng organized a press conference to castigate the judiciary.

“Kissi Agyebeng who was not in the High Court when the hand written ruling in Ex Parte Damoah was read, and without professionally and ethically waiting for a certified true copy of the ruling of the court as required of any experienced and ethical lawyer of integrity summoned his rented press and media two days after the ruling of the court in a style typical of McCarthyism and witch-hunting as though the court, judge, and the administration of justice were the obstacle to his inability to lead the OSP to professionally fight corruption in accordance with the due process of law.”

Amidu also said that the full judgement shows that the court was right to dismiss the case of the special prosecutor because it lacked merit.

He added that the court's ruling is a vindication of his early description of the “Labianca Report as being hollow and having been made without a mandate by the OSP”.

About the Labianca case:

A High Court in Accra invalidated a report by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that implicated Colonel Kwadwo Damoah and Joseph Adu Kyei in the Labianca case, citinewrooom.com reports.

The court also imposed costs of GH¢10,000 on the OSP.

The OSP's report accused the former Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Customs Division at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) of misconduct in granting favorable tax treatment to Labianca Company, owned by Council of State member, Eunice Jacqzueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh.

Colonel Damoah and Joseph Adu Kyei filed a lawsuit in November 2022, asserting that the report lacked merit and harmed their reputations.

In its verdict, the High Court sided with the plaintiffs, determining that the OSP had overstepped its authority in making adverse findings.

The court issued a prohibition order, preventing the OSP from further investigating Damoah and Kyei in connection with the Labianca case.

Read Amidu’s full statement below:



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