Justice Minister-designate Godfred Dame has noted that the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, was not mandated under law to present a copy of his assessment report on the Agyapa Royalties agreement to the president.
He said this during his vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Friday, February 12, 2021.
During proceedings, Ranking Member Haruna Iddrisu asked him: “You are saying that the Special Prosecutor was not required to present the report to who?”
“To the President,” Dame answered, adding that “he was not required to present the report to the president. I don’t see anywhere in ACT 959 that mandates the Special Prosecutor to present a copy of the report to the president”.
“He presented a copy of the report to the president and in doing so he himself spelt out the rationale for doing so. His letter written to the president stated that whatever he did was to guide future actions,” the former Deputy Attorney General said.
Mr Amidu on Monday, November 2, 2020, having finished a corruption-risk assessment of the transaction, submitted a report to the president.
“The analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment was completed and signed by the Special Prosecutor on 15th October 2020.
“The Special Prosecutor in a letter with reference number OSP/SCR/20/12/20 dated 16th October 2020 conveyed the conclusions and observations of the anti-corruption assessment to H. E. the President and the Hon. Minister of Finance as a matter of courtesy before informing the public.”
“Two weeks is more than too long for this Office to continue withholding the announcement of the completion of its sixty-four (64) page report to the public.
“It is important that this Office has the freedom to discharge its anti-corruption mandate and keep the public informed. I have, therefore, decided to bring the facts of the conclusion of the anti-corruption assessment of the Agyapa Royalties Transactions by this Office to the attention of the public and to avoid the continued speculations on this matter,” he said.
Exactly two weeks after submitting the report to the President, Mr Amidu announced his resignation from his post, citing interference by the President as one of the reasons.
He said in his resignation letter to the president: “It is essential for me to state for the purpose of the records, and contrary to public perceptions, that my appointment letter was received on 5th February 2020 (almost two (2)-years after my appointment).
“The copy addressees made no efforts to honour any of the conditions of appointment in terms of emoluments and benefits of the appointment ever since my warrant of appointment was issued on 23rd February 2018 to the date of my letter of resignation. The Deputy Special Prosecutor has also not been paid any emoluments since her appointment, and there is the need to redress that situation for her now that I am out of the way.
“The events of 12th November 2020 removed the only protection I had from the threats and plans directed at me for undertaking the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption assessment report and dictates that I resign as the Special Prosecutor immediately.
“I should not ordinarily be announcing my resignation to the public myself but the traumatic experience I went through from 20th October 2020 to 2nd November 2020 when I conveyed in a thirteen (13) page letter the conclusions and observations on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the Report On Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions and Other Matters Related Thereto to the President as Chairman of the National Security Council cautions against not bringing my resignation as the Special Prosecutor with immediate to the notice of the Ghanaian public and the world.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana
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