Why did Martin Amidu resign from his position as Special Prosecutor? – Detailed Analysis
We can now refer to the man who called himself: ‘Citizen Vigilante” and “Corruption Crusader” Mr Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu as the former Special Prosecutor following his resignation today.
Today, November 16, 2020, Mr Amidu resigned from the revered position as the Special Prosecutor barely two years after occupying the office; a position he assumed to primarily fight corruption and “protect the public purse.”
Well, we can conclude it was a wild goose chase or at least a fruitless journey which has yielded very little or no results. Indeed, Amidu made some strides in assessing some corruption scandals but it all ended there…he was not able to prosecute as the name of his office suggests.
Amidu has stated several reasons why as the first individual to occupy the Office of the Special Prosecutor, it has become very imperative for him to move out of his Cantonment office exactly three weeks to election.
Ghbase.com has critically analysed his statement and we want to serve you with the reasons he (Mr Amidu) stated as the motivating factors behind this unexpected decision.
1, My independence as Special Prosecutor was not respected
According to Mr Amidu, his role as Special Prosecutor and the independence of his office as enshrined in the constitution was not respected by the presidency and other appointees of the government.
According to Mr Amidu, this is one of the reasons he has resigned from the Office as the Special Prosecutor.
“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 said
2, I came under severe attack and was met with stiff opposition following my corruption risk assessment of the Agyapa Royalties Deal.
Mr Amidu said another factor that triggered his decision to resign from the Office of the Special Prosecutor is the ‘traumatic experience’ he went through after releasing a statement on the controversial Agyapa Royalties Deal.
“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.”
3, My office became a white elephant; I wasn’t able to function as I should.
According to Mr Amidu, his office became ‘untenable’ as he wasn’t allowed to defend himself against external and internal forces that were pushing and forcing him against his will.
He added that this experience rendered his office as a white elephant which was clothed with constitutional power but could not exercise it.
My position as the Special Prosecutor has consequently become clearly untenable,” Martin Amidu’s statement said.
4, The president did not allow me to do my work as the Special Prosecutor
Mr Amidu has said his work as Special Prosecutor was gravely hampered by the authority of the president.
According to him, after finalizing the report on the controversial Agyapa Royalties Deal, the president through his appointees conveyed to him the need to wait on the president for further instructions before proceeding with any further works on the report.
This, Mr Amidu, believes did not allow him the breathing space to work. In a nutshell, the office of the president blocked him from exercising his mandate to the fullest.
“Your Excellency insisted that I should withhold any further action on the report for one week. I reluctantly agrredd to your terms by gave notice immediately that I do not want to continue as Special Prosecutor because of your inteference of my functions under the law,” he said.
5, I didn’t receive my appointment on time and my emoluments weren’t paid
According to Mr Amidu, although he was appointed as Special Prosecutor in 2018, his appointment letter was submitted to him in February 2020.
Also, he and his deputy have not been paid their emoluments since they assumed office. However, Mr Amidu said that did not affect his personal drive to work as an OSP.
“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).”
“This explains why I have never put the emoluments and benefits of the Office as central to my commitment and my passion for the establishment of an independent, effective, efficient and impartial anti-corruption Office of the Special Prosecutor before the end of the first term of Mr President. This has not been possible for several reasons.”
“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.”
6, There was a vacuum created in me as Special Prosecutor. I felt I wasn’t in charge
Mr Amidu’s umpteenth reason for leaving the office of the Special Prosecutor is the feeling that he is not in charge of affairs.
According to him, he felt more or less like a robot who was been controlled from a technical room thus he was restricted from functioning on his own.
That in effect created a vacuum in him which ultimately necessitated his decision to leave the office.
“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.”
“Fear is the enemy of change and I am prepared from the vacuum created on 12th November 2020 to meet the threats of my demise as the price to pay for serving my country without fear or favour affection or ill will.”
In concluding, Mr Amidu said he would prefer to leave the office with his integrity intact to denting his hard-earned reputation as a corruption crusader who is bent on exposing the ills of the society.
According to him, his conscience is the anchor of his strength and he believes generations to come will testify as to whether he carried himself about as the Special Prosecutor as professional as he could and did the honourable thing by resigning when he felt things weren’t going the way he wanted them to.
I acted professionally through out in the discharge of my duties and my conscience is the anchor of my strength to face any consequences.
I am grateful to every Ghanaian for both the support and criticisms during my tenure. When the real facts of my tenure become well known to the public in the future, history may judge me kindly. Ghana First!
MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU, ESQ
Source: Ghbase.com
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