Co-Chair of the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu has appealed to Ghanaians not to grudge the Special Prosecutor (SP) for arresting Professor Frimpong Boateng the former chairperson for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations of the involvement of government officials in illegal mining.
Professor Frimpong Boateng in an exclusive interview with Alfred Ocansey on TV 3 recounted how he was invited into the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and subsequently arrested.
His arrest has sparked a lot of debate and controversies among the general public. However, the renowned anti-corruption campaigner, Edem Senanu in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show on Monday 12 June 2023 mentioned that the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng is only trying to perform his professional duties, hence he should not be grudged.
“I don’t think the OSP has done anything wrong. All of us at any point if we are called there should expect the same kind of treatment” he stated.
The Special Prosecutor has responded to the public uproar saying “From my angle I treat no one as saint. In the estimation of my office there are no saints. In the estimation of the office there are no heroes. If I approach this job of fighting corruption that there are some persons in the society who have attained the status of sainthood, we will lose the fight against corruption”.
In his reaction to the pronouncement by the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Senanu said he anticipated such response from him and that if one wants to follow due process, he must ensure that everybody is equal before the law, and that some people who were of special interest have gone through the same process and OSP has already investigated a lot of people.
“I think that Mr. Kissi Agyebeng is trying to do his job as professional as he ought to, and nobody should begrudge him on that. I am glad he has spoken quickly, it means he has put his thumbs on the pulse of the citizens and therefore know that many people were not too happy because of how we view Professor Frimpong Boateng” Senanu opined.
He went on to explain that perhaps Prof Frimpong Boateng himself was not adequately briefed on what things might be at the OSP and so it was a lot more traumatizing for him which he alluded himself that he saw the event as legitimate, but he felt victimized.
“I think that even though Mr. Kissi Agyebeng has made his point, he probably has to think through the process again to the extent that is there a way that people who are invited to the OSP will have a little more insight as to what to expect” he admonished.
According to him, the whole issue is a good learning curve for all. Hence a copy of the CHRAJ report must be made available to help stakeholders ascertain the scope of the investigation that was made on the matter.
He applauded Professor Frimpong Boateng for putting the report together but was dissatisfied with the fact that the confidential report was leaked into the public. Again, Edem Senanu mentioned that this situation is a good education for all Ghanaians.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu|3news.com|Ghana