A Private Legal Practitioner and Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC, Edudzi Tamaklo has raised doubts over Martin Amidu’s ability to deliver on his mandate as Special Prosecutor given his limited success when he served as Attorney General.
Martin Amidu was named as the Special Prosecutor by the President on Thursday January 11, 2018.
He is expected to be approved by Parliament in the coming days.
Though many have since commended the President’s nomination, with some describing it as a masterstroke, Mr. Tamakloe believes Mr. Amidu will not bring anything new to the table, given that he failed to prosecute many corruption-related cases when he served as Attorney General under former President, John Evans Atta Mills.
“What we cannot also take away is the fact that the conduct of the person appointed is there for all to see. You cannot dismiss those concerns. With the greatest respect, he was the Attorney General from 1992 to 2000 until he became running mate to Prof. Mills. Maybe. Can you tell me the number of corruption cases that he prosecuted? Having become the Attorney General to Prof. Mills, we all do know the number of criminal cases that he prosecuted so where is this business?”
‘Celebrate Amidu’s appointment’
Mr. Tamakloe’s comment comes despite a call by the Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey for the NDC to celebrate the nomination of a member of their party, Martin Amidu, as the country’s first Special Prosecutor.
According to him, the NDC should be happy because President Akufo-Addo has found the kind of quality needed to fight corruption in the country within the opposition party, describing it as a good sign.
“…It is good for the party to rather celebrate that they have a person that they made, that they shaped. He stood against them on principle and it’s good that their opponent who is in power now has seen that quality and wants to put it to greater use of the country. I think that is commendable,” he added.
About Special Prosecutor office
President Akufo-Addo signed into law, the Bill setting up the Special Prosecutor office after it was approved by Parliament in November 2017.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor marks the fulfilment of a major campaign promise of Nana Akufo-Addo in the run-up to the 2016 elections aimed at fighting corruption.
But members of the opposition NDC had complained that the office cannot be independent if the Special Prosecutor was going to be a loyalist of the NPP.
The President in announcing Amidu, said he received the nomination from the Attorney General Gloria Akuffo, and has accepted the nominee, whose name will be forwarded to Parliament for approval when the House reconvenes from recess.
“The Attorney General is by a letter dated to me Thursday 11th January 2018 addressed to me exercised her power of nomination and submitted to me for my acceptance the name of the proposed special prosecutor. I have accepted the Attorney General’s nomination and will, in turn, submit for Parliament’s approval when it reconvenes on 23rd of January 2018 for its first meeting of this New Year the name of Martin Alamisi Benz Kaiser Amidu to be the first Special Prosecutor under the law,” he said.
The President noted that, Mr. Amidu has the requisite integrity and independence of character to occupy such challenging office.
“I have done so because I am fully convinced that Mr. Martin Amidu, a prominent legal personality who held the high office of the Attorney General of the Republic in the government of the late President John Evans Attah Mills has the requisite integrity, competence, courage and independence of character to discharge effectively the responsibilities of this office.”
