Vociferous broadcast journalist, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, has described the appointment of Mr. Martin A.B.K Amidu as one of the most recent frauds perpetrated by politicians on unsuspecting Ghanaians.
His comments came at the cries of the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Martin A.B.K Amidu during the Audit Service forum on Thursday that the Special Prosecutors’ office has limited prosecutorial powers to the expectation of Ghanaians. Mr. Amidu intimated that under the Office of The Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, Act 959, his office has been given wide jurisdiction to fight corruption related offences in Ghana but such wide jurisdiction with further reading of the Act reveals excessive limitations. The limitations have been slapped at section 79 of Act 959 as he claims. The purported limitations read;
‘’corruption and corruption related offences’’ means offences under
(a) Sections 146, 151, 179C, 239, 252, 253, 254, 256, 258 and 260 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29);
(b) Section 92(2) of Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663); and
(c) Existing offences under enactments arising out of or consequent to offences referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b)’’
Mr. Amidu stated that;‘’The powers we were given were so elaborate but what they did was that they embedded a section called the interpretation section so they said you have powers and you can catch anybody. But if you go to the interpretation section, you will see that the powers of the office are strictly circumscribed.’’
Okatakyie Nana Afrifa-Mensah however believes that the political appointment of Mr. Amidu into the Office of the Special Prosecutor was a fraud either known to Mr. Amidu himself or not known to him. He explained;
‘’His continues tantrums as an anti-corruption junior Jesus prior the 2012 and 2016 elections built a brand whose psychology let to the messianic welcome Ghanaians gave him into the office as Special Prosecutor to the political advantage of a section of the political class in Ghana. His office’s loud silence is far from his brand that led to the appointment…’’
Host of Epa Hoa Daben show, the weekday afternoon current affairs show on Happy FM decried Mr. Amidu’s cries stating that section 146, 151, 179C, 239,252, 253, 254, 256, 258, 260 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29, prescribes the offences of Dishonestly Receiving Property, Extortion, Using public office for profit, Corruption of and by public officer, Accepting or giving bribe to influence public officer or juror, Corrupt promise by judicial officer or juror, Corrupt selection of juror, Corrupt intimidation and personation in respect of election, Falsification of return at election, Withholding of public money by public officer, and Section 92 of Public Procurement Act, 2003, Act 663 which provides for Offences relating to procurement consecutively. He explained that
‘’The scary thing is that Mr. Amidu acted as he has forgotten his epistle writing habit and never penned down his protest against the nonbiting jurisdiction given to his office prior to the passing of the bill and its subsequent accent by the President.’’
He continued during the discussion that; ‘’ This is not the usual Mr. Amidu brand we know. The usual Mr. Amidu would have vehemently protested in long essays weaknesses of the Office of The Special Prosecutor Bill, 2017, and stated grounds with evidence, of any unaided effort to his cry by government. It is like a farmer boasting of his ability to turn up a large acre of land for cultivation, he is given a small cutlass, he accepts it, does nothing and when questioned he answers the cutlass is too small .’’
His comments came few days after Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tove Gegnbol praised Mr. Alamisi Martin Amidu and Mr Dormelevo the Auditor General as graft fighters against corruption. Many have rejected the complements on Mr. Amidu calling it a mere charade and asked Mr. Amidu to honourably resign the post.
