Edem Senanu, the co-chair of the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, has urged Ghanaians not to hold it against the Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, for having detained Professor Frimpong Boateng, the former chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), as part of the ongoing inquiry into claims that government officials were involved in illegal mining.

Because of this, Professor Frimpong Boateng described how he was invited to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and then detained. His detention however, has generated a great deal of public discussion and controversy.

Edem Senanu, a well-known anti-corruption activist, stated on Monday, June 12, that Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, is merely attempting to carry out his professional obligations, thus he should not be resented.

“I don’t think the OSP has done anything wrong. All of us at any point if we are called there should expect the same kind of treatment.”
Edem Senanu

In response to the public outcry, the Special Prosecutor stated, “From my angle I treat no one as a saint. In the estimation of my office there are no saints, in the estimation of the office there are no heroes. If I approach this job of fighting corruption that there are some persons in the society who have attained the status of sainthood, we will lose the fight against corruption.”

In response to the Special Prosecutor’s announcement, Mr. Senanu stated that he expected such a response from the prosecutor and that, in order to follow due process, he must make sure that everyone is treated equally before the law, that some people who were of special interest have undergone the same process, and that OSP has already conducted a significant number of investigations.

“I think that Mr. Kissi Agyebeng is trying to do his job as professional as he ought to, and nobody should begrudge him on that. I am glad he has spoken quickly; it means he has put his thumbs on the pulse of the citizens and therefore know that many people were not too happy because of how we view Professor Frimpong Boateng.”
Edem Senanu

He continued by saying that probably Prof. Frimpong-Boateng was not fully informed about what would happen at the OSP and that made it much more traumatic for him, even if he claimed to see the occurrence as real and feel victimized.

“I think that even though Mr. Kissi Agyebeng has made his point, he probably has to think through the process again to the extent that is there a way that people who are invited to the OSP will have a little more insight as to what to expect.”
Edem Senanu

Ghanaians Should Learn From This Situation

Edem Senanu averred that everyone can learn something from the whole situation. He therefore proclaimed that it is necessary for the right authorities to make a copy of the CHRAJ report available, so that interested parties can understand the breadth of the inquiry that was conducted.

He praised Professor Frimpong Boateng for compiling the report but expressed disappointment that the private document had been made available to the public. Edem Senanu reiterated that everyone in Ghana should learn from this situation, as it is a good source of education to the citizenry.