John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of NDC
Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu has not been effective as Ghanaians want him to because President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is interfering in his job, Former President and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama has said.
According to Mr Mahama, though the law which establishes the Office of the Special Prosecutor makes the office independent of political actors, the president and his government officials have succeeded in interfering with happenings in the office.
“Apart from the financial constraint, government is also interfering with their work politically. The last time when I told him there is political interference he (Martin Amidu) wasn’t happy about it”. Former President John Mahama told Kumasi-based-radio Abusua Fm in an interview monitored by MyNewsGH.com.
The President Akufo-Addo during the swearing-in of the Special Prosecutor on Friday, 23rd February 2018 stated that “We expect the Special Prosecutor to discharge his duties vigorously, with courage, without fear or favour, ill-will or malice, in accordance with the rule of law. The establishment of this Office is for a high purpose, and must not, under any circumstances, be used as an avenue for persecution or vengeance,”
However, close to 3 years after the establishment of the office, most political analysts have said the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has failed Ghanaians in the fight against corruption.
Mr Mahama in his interview also acknowledged the fact that the establishment of the office of the special prosecutor by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was a good step, he noted that government has not made the office independent as the law demands.
“The idea of the office of the special prosecutor was good but when you look critically into the office you could see that there are other things that are not helping. One, the budget allocated to him is not sufficient to execute his duties properly. You will see it on paper that we have given GHC 180 million but at the end of the year how much of the money was released for him”, he said.
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