A lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Mr. Amakye Boateng says Ghana does not need a Special Prosecutor to fight corruption.
According to him, politicians have failed to prosecute their own when it comes to the fight against corruption.
Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he thus referred to the appointment as a witch hunting exercise initiated by the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He explained that the office of the Attorney General over the years has the power to prosecute a corrupt government official which they have woefully failed to execute, so the office of the Special Prosecutor is not bringing anything new.
President Akufo-Addo has announced Mr. Martin Amidu as the first Special Prosecutor.
As part of his election 2016 campaign promises, President Akufo-Addo stated his administration will set up an office of an independent Special Prosecutor to deal with corruption cases in the country.
The New Patriotic Party in the election manifesto said, the office will “be independent of the Executive, to investigate and prosecute certain categories of cases and allegations of corruption and other criminal wrongdoing, including those involving alleged violations of the Public Procurement Act and cases implicating political officeholders and politicians.”
Following his assumption of office, he has reiterated his commitment to set up the office and nominate someone to occupy it.
Bill Passed
On Tuesday, November 14th, 2017, Parliament finally passed the Special Prosecutor's Bill at a marathon sitting amidst controversy over whether the prospective Special Prosecutor should be immuned from prosecution.
The government was racing against time to have the bill passed ahead of the reading of the 2018 Budget statement which has been scheduled for the next day Wednesday.
Over 30 ammendments were made to the Bill that gives power to the new independent prosecutor tasked with the responsibility of prosecuting past and present public officers deemed to have been corrupt.
Chief among the controversial amendments is the decision to free the independent prosecutor from any form of prosecution.
President Assents Bill
Then barely 48hours into the new year, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo gave a Presidential Assent to the Office of Special Prosecutor Bill, and four other bills key on the agenda of his administration.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill, the Zongo Development Fund Bill, and the bills that seek to establish three development authorities received legislative approval last year and will pave the way for the President to fulfill certain promises upon which he was elected into office.
President Akufo-Addo told reporters at the Presidency yesterday that the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor was an important step in the government’s determination to root out corruption from public offices.
He is yet to be approved by parliament
Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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What a lecturer with contradicting logic and reasoning! You mean Attorney Generals have failed over the years so nothing should be done? If AGs have really failed as you say then you should be the first man to praise H. E. for trying something new!
If corruption has been with us since Adam, how can Adamu Amidu eradicate it from our midst? So Adamu Amidu is coming to turn Ghana into Burkina Faso (Land of Incorruptible People). E no be so? Ghana, the next heaven, where there is no corruption. Thank you, Adamu Amidu.
I WAS EXPECTING THE LEARNED LECTURER TO HAVE PRAISED THE APPOINTMENT AND COUNTER BY SAYING IT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE THE AGE-OLD ATTORNEY GENERAL DEPARTMENT HAS FAILED TO LIVE UP TO ITS STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS. MARTIN AMIDU IS MORE THAN A POLITICIAN BUT A PROFESSIONAL LAWYER WHO IS MORE THAN QUALIFIED TO DO THIS JOB. MARTIN AMIDU IS MORE QUALIFIED THAN THE STAFF OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DEPARTMENT WHO ARE JUST LEGAL PROFESSIONALS. IN ADDITION, MARTIN AMIDU KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS OF GHANAIAN POLITICS AND NO STRANGER TO THE TASK AT HAND. LARGE NUMBER OF GHANAIANS HOME AND ABROAD ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS APPOINTMENT AND PRAYING FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS MISSION.THERE IS ALWAYS A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING AND IT'S TIME FOR CLOSE-MINDED AMAKYE BOATENG TO BE A LITTLE OPTIMISTIC. AGAIN, THE MERE MENTIONING OF AMIDU'S APPOINTMENT AS A WITCH-HUNTING EXERCISE IS CLEARLY AFFIRMING THE GHANAIAN MENTALITY OF NOTHING NEW WILL BE ACCHIEVED!!!!
We have passed that stage of the debate. Albert Einstein ones said insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Every year people steal government money. The old ways of tackling it is not working.
What kind of logic is Mr. Amakye Boateng pursuing? If the appointment of Martin Amidu is to witch-hunt former govt appointees, wouldn't the government have employed the A-G to do same? Please up your game!