Stop dragging the office of the special prosecutor into partisan politics- Martin Amidu

The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has cautioned flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama to stop dragging the office of the special prosecutor into partisan politics.

Some media publications, referred to by Martin Amidu, reveals the NDC flagbearer issuing a caveat to anyone who intends “messing” with the Special prosecutor.

Contained in a statement sighted by The Vaultz News, it further noted that such statements were regarded as patronizing and needless within the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

“I have read with dismay the deliberate efforts by certain Presidential candidates for the 2020 Elections to drag the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the person of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, as he is referred to in their speeches and media publications, into their campaign rhetoric to demonstrate their determination to prevent and fight corruption as a reason why the electorate must consider them as the candidate of choice for the up-coming elections.

“‘I won’t sack Martin Amidu if I win – Mahama” was the banner headline on the Ghana Web Politics of Tuesday, 20th October 2020 with its source as Daily Mail. Then on the same Ghana Web General News of Tuesday, 20th October 2020 with the sources as Starr FM and Class FM, I read that: “I will warn my appointees against messing with Amidu – Mahama” and “I’ll warn my appointees against messing with Amidu, I won’ interfere with his work – Mahama”, respectively.

“As the Special Prosecutor who personifies the Office of the Special Prosecutor, I find such statements patronizing, and needless within the objects, mandate and functions granted to the Office under the Office of the special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).”

These pronouncements according to Mr. Amidu “constitute interferences with, and attempts to influence the independent mandate of this Office to investigate, and prosecute certain electoral offences apportioned to this Office under the law which constitute corruption and corruption-related offences as clearly stated in Section 79 of Act 959”.

He further noted, it should be common knowledge amongst various presidential candidates that the Office of the special Prosecutor “is not subject to the direction or control of a person or an authority in the performance of the functions of the Office”.

Martin Amidu asserted that the same rules apply even when the Office acts upon the authority of the Attorney- General to initiate and conduct the prosecution of corruption and corruption-related offences.

“It is also clearly stated that the Board of the Office shall not interfere in the day to-day functions of the Office. This independence of the Office in the performance of the functions of the Office is reinforced when Act 959 gives the Special Prosecutor full authority and control over the investigation, initiation and conduct of proceedings under subsection (1) of section 3 which spells out the functions of the Office”.

Entrenching his position as the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu insists he does not “need assurances from anybody of leaving me in Office when she or he wins the elections”.

“The Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (959) governs the situation. In any case the position of Special Prosecutor is not one of servitude but of service. It is, therefore, needless for anybody to assume airs about what she or he will do with the Office or Martin Amidu when she or he wins the elections. The Office is an independent statutory anti- corruption agency and must be respected as such notwithstanding who for the time being holds the Office of the Special Prosecutor”.