Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof Ransford Gyampo, has yet again taken a swipe at the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, describing him, as walking in the shadows of the Attorney General.
According to him, the Special Prosecutor has been doing the bidding of the Attorney General for sometime. He revealed that his position is informed by his musings over the responses of the Special Prosecutor in an interview he had over the weekend.
Prof Gyampo stated that although he initially thought the interview brought out some useful information, he has his doubts reflecting on the responses again in more sobriety.
“Kissi’s claim that he, an individual, and a mortal human being, who isn’t a saint himself, is the conscience and soul of Ghana, sounds religiously and politically blasphemous and problematic, as he suddenly attempts to play God in Ghana. Per his own enabling act, he walks in the shadows of the Attorney General who is a partisan appointee. He can be directed and dictated to, by the Attorney General in the conduct of his work.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Furthermore, the UG political science lecturer stated that such a “dependent” Special Prosecutor, cannot arrogate to himself the role of an Independent Public Prosecutor. He noted that Mr Agyebeng cannot walk in the shadows of a partisan appointee and still describe himself as the conscience and soul of the nation.
“Even the Citizen Vigilante, Martin Amidu, in spite of all that he did prior to his appointment and during his appointment as Special Prosecutor, never described himself as the conscience and soul of the nation.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Describing the responses by Mr Agyebeng as worrying, Prof Gyampo highlighted on the Special Prosecutor’s remarks that he “doesn’t consecrate saints, and that he is the conscience and soul of Ghana”. To this, he explained that not consecrating saints can be interpreted to mean every suspect is a criminal ab initio.
“But in his own law that he studied, there is a principle that, all are innocent or “consecrated saints” until proven guilty. So, where from this new alien legal maxim being propounded and must we allow Kissi Agyabeng to impose it on us as a people?”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Independence of the Special Prosecutor called into question
Prof Gyampo expressed that it may be possible for someone or an institution to emerge one day, as the soul and conscience of the nation. However, he revealed that even if this may be possible, trust for such institutions created by “partisan executive Presidents” in Ghana, can only be built over time, not at once.
“Even though he admits and applauds the achievements and contributions of Prof Frimpong Boateng to Ghana, some of his comments surreptitiously rubbishes such heroic contributions. We must guillotine this attitude of ingratitude and prevent it from festering, else no one will die for Ghana, like the Special Prosecutor wants us to believe he’s currently doing, but which I honestly doubt.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Commenting further on the independence of the Special Prosecutor, Prof Gyampo explained that if politicians have succeeded in bastardizing and making even constitutionally created independent institutions nearly dependent, even to the point of ordering their staff to submit their CVs to them for scrutiny, then Kissi Agyabeng cannot force Ghanaians to trust him all of a sudden as being independent.
Recounting an incident, Prof Gyampo indicated that back in school, Mr Agyebeng wasn’t a “tough person”. However, he conceded that the Special Prosecutor may have built his psyche and grown to become a strong willed person over the years, and this may be a positive attribute required to head the office he occupies.
“But granted this, mere talk, and display of a certain body language (that I do not want to describe as arrogance), cannot suddenly force all Ghanaians to believe that the Special Prosecutor is independent.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
In his bid to address the issue of galamsey, Prof Gyampo urged the Special Prosecutor to go after all who are culpable in the galamsey menace, look into the “faces of his friends and political appointees and refuse to favor them in his quest to help the fight against galamsey”. This, he noted, when done over a period of time, will surely win the hearts of all Ghanaians.
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