Kow Essuman, Counsel to the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has publicly refuted a claim by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu that President Akufo-Addo asked the Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to vacate his post.
He dared Kpebu to provide evidence to support his claim.
In a post on his X platform, Kow Essuman said “I really hope that my learned friend, Martin Kpebu, did not make this statement. But in the event that my hope is dashed and he actually made this statement, then I dare him to name his supposed source at the Presidency that provided him with this false information.
“He should provide evidence of this allegation. Given his standing as a lawyer, it is simply not enough for him to say, ‘I have my sources at the Presidency.’ He should provide cogent evidence to support this allegation rather than putting out speculations and conjectures.”
Martin Kpebu, while making the claim also said that Kissi Agyebeng refused to heed the President’s order.
To that end, Kpebu said former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu served President Akufo-Addo an opportunity to get rid of Kissi Agyebeng with his petition for his removal.
When asked about the source of this information, he said “I have my sources at the presidency, and they told me that President Akufo-Addo asked Kissi to resign but Kissi said no, he is not going anywhere. Because Akufo-Addo is scared that the way Kissi is showing a bit of independence, a bit of steam, if he leaves Kissi in office, Kissi is likely to prosecute him and his appointees.”
Kpebu further indicated that the petition is an attempt to remove Kissi in order to get a very malleable person into that office.
“It is an attempt to push Kissi out and get a very malleable special prosecutor, it is a serious blow to the fight against corruption, we would have thought that at this time Akufo Addo would think about how to resource the Office of the Special prosecutor yet he is rather more interested in removing the SP.
The Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo had written to Kissi Agyebeng to provide his comments on the petition that has been filed by his predecessor Martin Amidu for his removal.
The Chief Justice’s letter says that the comments of Mr. Kissi Ageybeng are to help establish a prima facie case or otherwise.
“This is to forward to you a copy of the petition dated 30th April 2024 sent to the Office of the President which was forwarded to the Office of the Honourable Lady Chief Justice on 6th May 2024. Kindly provide your comments on the matters raised to enable the Honourable Chief Justice to determine if a prima facie case has been made out.”
Martin Amidu, also a former Attorney-General filed the petition against Kissi Agyebeng on the grounds of procurement breaches in the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and abuses involving judges and the administration of justice.
Additionally, Mr. Amidu alleges a violation of the right to information when he requested appointment letters and salary details of all OSP staff to be put on a pen drive for him, which Mr. Agyebeng refused.
