Special Prosecutor resigns, sites lack of independence and freedom to perform
Special Prosecutor resigns, sites lack of independence and freedom to perform.
In a letter addressed to President Nana Akufo-Addo, Martin Amidu said his decision is to “enable Your Excellency to take steps to appoint a replacement to that position as required by law.”
He suggested that President Akufo-Addo has not been able to ensure his independence and freedom of action.
“The one condition upon which I accepted to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor when you invited me to your Office on 10th January 2018 was your firm promise to me that you will respect and ensure same by your Government for my independence and freedom of action as the Special Prosecutor,” he stated.
Citing an example of one of the triggers for his resignation and the decision to make it public, the former Attorney General said he has had a “traumatic experience” between 20th October 2020 and 2nd November 2020 after releasing his corruption risk assessment on Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions.
He said while he believed that he was executing his mandate independently, the reactions he has received concerning the work makes him convinced that he was not expected to exercise his independence as a Special Prosecutor and that makes his work untenable.
“In undertaking the analysis of the risk of prevention of corruption and anti-corruption assessment I sincerely believed that I was executing an independent mandate under the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Act, 2017 (Act 959) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L. I. 2374).”
“The reaction I received for daring to produce the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption report convinces me beyond any reasonable doubt that I was not intended to exercise any independence as the Special Prosecutor in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and recovery of assets of corruption. My position as the Special Prosecutor has consequently become clearly untenable,” Martin Amidu’s statement said.