MARTIN AMIDU’S PETITION FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FROM OFFICE
1.0 The Petition
Martin Amidu’s petition rests on 6 issues;
- Accroachment of Authority
- Inducement of Staff from sister law enforcement agencies
- Abuse of citizens’ rights through arrests and detention
- Abuse of the Judiciary
- Procurement breaches
- Refusal to comply with RTI requests.
1.1 Accroachment of Authority
Mr. Martin Amidu alleges it is the president who should have appointed staff of the OSP and not the Special Prosecutor. He alleges the SP accroached the powers of the president when he engaged the services of three directors when he did not have a board.
He pointed out in many words that he had mainly sought the secondment of staff to his Office with the approval of the President when he did not have a board. However, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng did not seek approval from the president.
1.2 Inducement of Staff from sister Law Enforcement Agencies
The former Special Prosecutor alleges that the current Special Prosecutor recruited staff from sister law enforcement agencies, particularly the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the Ghana Police Service by inducing them with higher salaries and higher ranks.
Mr Amidu attached resignation letters he officially obtained from EOCO (markd restricted) who are now working with the OSP. He also attached RTI requests he made to Ghana Police Service for names and ranks of officers who have resigned to join the OSP. Police did not provide official resignation letters but a write up.
1.3 Abuse of citizens’ rights through arrests and detention
Mr. Martin Amidu alleges that the OSP’s handling of cases involving Madam Cecila Dapaah, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, Col. Damoah and Joseph Adu Kyei (Customs Division of GRA) and Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh (Chief Executive of Labianca and a member of the Council of State) amounted to an abuse of the rights of these citizens through the arrests and detentions made by the OSP.
Mr. Amidu attached the entire court documents filed at the High Court from start to finish of the Cecilia Dapaah’s case to his petition as exhibit.
1.4 Abuse of the Judiciary
In a media briefing in November 2023, the Special Prosecutor told the press that there appeared to be a developing trend of rather regressive and dismissal judicial decisions involving OSP cases. The OSP provided four examples of rulings by the Court that appeared to ignore the law, or reason, or both.
Mr. Martin Amidu alleges that this “criticism” is tantamount to abuse of the Judiciary. He attached an article he wrote on 3 December 2023 criticising the SP as evidence of judicial abuse.
1.5 Procurement Breaches
The former Special Prosecutor alleges that the OSP had breached Procurement rules in its refurbishment of the new office complex and procurement of vehicles. The only exhibit he attached is an RTI request to Public Procurement Authority for documentations covering such transactions. PPA denied request for the information on the basis that they are not OSP.
1.6 Refusal to comply with RTI Requests
Mr. Martin Amidu also alleges that the OSP did not grant him information with several Right to Information requests made by him. Mr. Amidu requested that the OSP to provide him with the appointment letters and salary details of all OSP staff on a pen drive. And details on the specialised vehicles by the OSP.
Read also:
Petition for Kissi Agyebeng’s removal is a blow to the fight against corruption – Kpebu | 3News
