'Those sending chiefs, pastors to Amidu engaged in fruitless venture’ – Nana Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo says persons who have been sending emissaries to the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu to dissuade him from investigating and prosecuting them on corruption allegations, are engaged in “fruitless” exercise.

Reports emerged Tuesday that Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga has been sending chiefs, pastors, former collagues and some personal friends among others to Mr. Martin Amidu to impress on him to back down on investigations against him.

Mr. Amidu is said to be investigating the MP over a possible corruption arising out of his importation of three second-hand Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles into the country.

Speaking at the graduation parade at Ghana Prisons Service Officers cadet course intake 25, Nana Akufo-Addo said he would ensure as President that the laws of the country are applied without “ethnic, religious or political affiliations of the persons involved”

“And to those who are sending chiefs and men of God to the Special Prosecutor to intervene on their behalf, to try to dissuade Mr. Martin Amidu from conducting his investigations, from the little I know of the man, they are engaged in fruitless venture,” Nana Akufo-Addo stated.

Read below the full statement of Mr. Amidu accusing Mr Ayariga

THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR COMPLAINS AGAINST A SUSPECT, HON. MAHAMA AYARIGA, FOR OBSTRUCTING HIM IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS FUNCTIONS

After undertaking preliminary investigations into the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences including the abuse of public office for private gain by the Honourable Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament for the Bawku Central Constituency, my office decided that there were sufficient grounds to invite the suspect for the conduct of full investigations into the allegations.

The preliminary investigations pertained to the importation into Ghana through corrupt means and corruption-related activities of three used white Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles by using a Parliamentary Resolution dated 7th April 2017 contracting a facility of US$22, 500, 000.00 between the Parliamentary Service and the Societe Generale Bank (Ghana) which was for the purchase of one brand new official vehicle for each of the 275 Members of Parliament. Due to the fact that the investigations division of my office was in the process of being set up, I invited the Economic and Organised Crime Office to undertake a joint investigation of the suspected offences with my office, as permitted under our establishment enactments.

The suspect refused to report to the offices of EOCO in Accra as demanded by a publication at page 26 of the Daily Graphic of 20th June 2018 with vehicle numbers GR 2220-18, GR 2221-18, GR 2222-18, GT 2243(sic)-17 and GT 4054-13. Consequently, it fell on me to write to the Speaker of Parliament with a copy to Honourable Mahama Ayariga (the suspect) in my letter dated 26th June 2018 to release the suspect to report to EOCO on 3rd July 2018.

When the Suspect, Honourable Mahama Ayariga, received his copy of my letter to the Speaker he immediately started to get people he perceived could put pressure on me (such as personal friends, former colleagues, chiefs, men of God, etc.), to abate the investigations being conducted in the performance of my functions under Acts 959 and Act 804. I asked EOCO on a number of occasions to warn the suspect to desist from his conduct of obstructing the investigations by soliciting others to put pressure on me to abate same to no avail.

I have accordingly, on 3rd August 2018, requested EOCO to investigate my complaint against the suspect for obstructing me, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of the functions of my office as the Special Prosecutor. I stated clearly on oath at my vetting for this Office that I was not going to tolerate any interference or obstruction from anybody or organ of Government other than the courts of law in the performance of the independent functions of my office even if the culprit were my only brother.

It is time for the public and everybody to take the promises I made on oath to the people of Ghana at my vetting very seriously. We cannot as a country fight the canker of corruption and corruption-related offences by expecting the Special Prosecutor to have regard to the personalities involved in the commission of corruption offences instead of treating every crime as crime without fear or favour, affection or ill will.