Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has intimated that the success of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyeben, will depend on how he investigates and prosecute corruption cases.
In a media interaction, John Mahama said the cases to prosecute must involve the ones that have come up in the last five years and also cases involving appointees of the Akufo-Addo’s government.
“I hope that he will move that expertise and brilliance into the job of investigating corruption across board. The fact that this particular President and government appointed you,;are you going to be able to cut through that and be able to go into investigating acts of corruption that are taking place? Not only under the government but with people who are very close to the centre of power? That will determine whether he is successful or not.”
Jihn Mahama
He further averred that government must ensure that;the Special Prosecutor’s Office is given all the needed support to carry out his mandate.
John Mahama then advised the Akufo-Addo government to allow the new Special Prosecutor to work without interference.
This, he cautioned, should not be like the case as they tried to do with his predecessor, Mr. Martin Amidu.
Give Kissi Agyeben needed cooperation
Mr. Mahama recounted the complaints of the previous Special Prosecutor;that prevented him from doing his job effectively and expressed the hope that the new one will get the needed cooperation.
“He was a central plan of Nana Akufo- Addo’s campaign in 2016 and that was his major instrument of dealing with corruption. Aside the Anas principle, he was the only instrument to fight corruption. Unfortunately, the Anas principle has been abandoned by the President.
“The first Special Prosecutor did not get the kind of cooperation he needed to be able to do the work that he had been given. We heard him complain about funding of the office,;in terms of logistics and finance to recruit the kind of personnel that he needed to do the job.”
John Mahama
Special Prosecutor must function without interference
John Mahama further stated that the Special Prosecutor’s ability to function without interference makes his job one that is pleasing. He then urged for the old issues with the previous Special Prosecutor to be corrected under this regime.
“We also heard many complaints where the executive and the political establishment had attempted to interfere in his job. The beauty of the Special Prosecutor;is the independence of the office and his ability to investigate corruption notwithstanding whose ox is gored.
“When you take that independence away,;it robs the office of its usefulness. We hope that those things will be corrected under this new Special Prosecutor.”
John Mahama
John Mahama further wished Mr. Kissi Agyeben well in his line of work in fighting corruption in the country. Also
The new Special Prosecutor, Kissi Adjabeng, was sworn into office earlier this month. His appointment follows the resignation of Martin Amidu, who accused and described the President as the Mother Serpent of corruption.
