Amidu is a ‘Special Letter Writer’ and not Prosecutor – Suhuyini jabs
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North Constituency Alhassan Suhuyini has expressed a strong reservation on Mr. Amidu, the Special Prosecutor to deliver on his mandate describing him as a ‘Special Letter Writer’.
In the view of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Amidu who until his appointment gave the strongest impression that he had all the qualities to fight corruption, has been disappointing and only appears to have specialty in writing letters and articles.
In an interview monitored by theghanareport, Alhassan Suhuyini said “My position on Mr. Amidu is well known. It looks as if instead of a special prosecutor we got a special letter writer. That’s what it seems we have. The man we have is a special letter writer”.
“Since his appointment, Mr Martin Amidu has written and published series of letters and articles on matters that bother on the operations of his office and the discharge of his duties.”
The seeming delay on the part of the revered anti-corruption fighter to achieve substantial results by prosecuting persons believed to be involved in corruption and corruption related activities has generated widespread disappointment among Ghanaians with many openly criticizing him for dashing their expectations.
In one of his written releases, the Special Prosecutor said “Heads of institutions wantonly disregard statutory requests made by the Office of the Special Prosecutor for information and production of documents to assist in the investigation of corruption and corruption-related offences. Public officers have been charged, arraigned before the High Court and their pleas taken only for them to return to their workplaces and work normally as though they have never been suspected of committing any corruption offences. Despite all the powers conferred on the Office of the Special Prosecutor by the law, when heads of institutions continually refuse or fail to support the fight against the canker of corruption by not vigorously applying regulations intended to aid the fight against corruption and other crimes, they ultimately undermine the work and impact of the Office of the Special Prosecutor”.
However, Alhassan Suhuyini believes that Mr Amidu was not oblivious of the challenges that he would face in the fight against corruption and hence found as baseless the reasons given by the special prosecutor for failing to prosecute.
“Who doesn’t know that systems are difficult to go around in this country? But it is because perhaps we expected better that is why the law was made special and supported by all and passed in parliament and his (Amidu’s) appointment approved by the same parliament. So why do you every now and then write to us about challenges,” he wondered.
He further questioned why Mr. Amidu keeps complaining in publications over cases he wrote profusely on prior to his appointment including a case that has to do with the alleged diversion of $15 million reportedly paid to the Government of Ghana as part of corporate social responsibility for the development of the West Cape Three Points Area in the Western Region.
As a condition for then-President John Atta Mills giving executive consent to permit the E.O. Group to assign $300 million worth of shares to Tullow, the E.O. Group agreed to pay the money.
Mr Amidu has faulted the Director General of Police CID for failing to produce a docket after an investigation conducted earlier on the matter.
“This matter that he is complaining about was one that he wrote profusely on, he wrote copiously on with articles upon articles advertising his knowledge of how the funds were diverted under President Mahama. He wrote demonstrating his knowledge as an insider. He has investigative powers and so if the CID can’t get him a docket, based on his previous knowledge if not on concoction, lies, dishonesty and deception, he should proceed on his own investigations,” he said.