Special Prosecutor investigating some Akufo-Addo appointees – Deputy AG

A Deputy Minister of Justice, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, has disclosed that the Special Prosecutor is investigating some government officials and soon the outcome of findings will be published.

He said Martin Amidu is working hard behind the scenes and Ghanaians will soon judge whether his office was for the good in the fight against graft or not.

The Deputy Attorney General, who is also Member of Parliament for Tempane Constituency, was speaking on TV3‘s The Key Points on Saturday, August 15 after claims that the Office of the Special Prosecutor has become redundant.

‘Abysmal’

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese Constituency, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, accused the Office of being surplus to institutions in the fight against corruption.

For the former Deputy Communications Minister, the Attorney General’s Department was fit to prosecute corruption allegations against public officials.

“You go and set up an Office and create a funfair around it that is going to be the be-all and end-all of the fight against corruption [and] it is going to be the panacea to the problem of corruption.

“Four years down the line, there are no tangible outcomes to assess whether or not that move has been beneficial. So, it vindicates the position that some of us took that you don’t need that.”

He said even the occupant of the Office was problematic as he “had a vendetta against one side of the [political] divide”.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu concludes that the Special Prosecutor has been “abysmal”.

“Indeed, I daresay that that Office and the occupant of that Office have together been the worst state institution created under the Fourth Republic in terms of performance.”

‘Akufo-Addo to be vindicated’

But reacting to the issue, Mr Kpemka said Mr Amidu is carrying out many investigations and soon he will come out with his findings and prosecutorial ones will be, accordingly, followed at the law courts.

“I know that that office is doing a lot and when they start going to court with the various matters, people will know the vindication of the President’s decision to establish this Office,” he said.

“There are quite a number of cases and it is not only cases against officials of the previous regime. That is what I want to emphasise.

“There are members of the current government who are being investigated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and if he comes with the conclusion that they are indeed culpable in one way or the other by his assessment, they will be put before court and I think that will vindicate the position the President took on this matter.”

He stressed that the government has so far not been unhappy with his performance.

The two were speaking on the track record of the two governments in the fight against corruption.