President Akufo-Addo has questioned the basis of Martin Amidu’s decision to defer investigation of Ex-President John Mahama’s alleged involvement in the Airbus bribery scandal until after the 2020 elections when he served as Ghana’s Special Prosecutor.
According to him, Mr. Amidu’s decision was a strange discretionary exercise which had no moral or legal basis.
Martin Amidu last week in a much-talked-about report on the Agyapa royalties deal said he had decided not to invite John Mahama for investigations on the Airbus bribery scandal over his suspected involvement due to the fact that he was currently the presidential candidate of the other largest political party in Ghana.
But the President, in responding to the claims of interference made against him by the former Special Prosecutor indicated that, although he could have intervened in such a decision among others by Martin Amidu, he did not do so just to ensure that Martin Amidu could have the free-hand to operate.
He said it was erroneous of Martin Amidu to grant John Mahama immunity from investigation and prosecution on the matter just because he was a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
“Indeed, even when you erroneously and without moral or legal basis decided to confer immunity from investigation and prosecution on the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, in connection with the infamous five million Euro Airbus bribery affair, by refusing to investigate him on the clearly untenable grounds of he being a candidate for President, neither the President nor any member of the Executive challenged that strange exercise of your discretion,” the President said in a statement.
Akufo-Addo said although there could have been political gains for him which should encourage him to intervene and get Amidu to go ahead with the probe of Mahama, he did not do so hence he finds it surprising Mr. Amidu levelled allegations of interference against him.
“Surely this was in furtherance of the protection of the independence of your office. It is stranger still that you would now suggest that the President, who some may argue, would have benefited politically from the prosecution of John Mahama, has interfered with your independence by suggesting that you apply the rules of natural justice to officials concerned with the Agyapa assessment,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo also rejected Martin Amidu’s claim that the Office of the Special Prosecutor was starved of resources to do its work.
He indicated that while the funds were made available but Martin Amidu failed to access them.
Martin Amidu resigned from office as the Special Prosecutor on Monday, November 16, 2020, after nearly 3-years at post.
Among other reasons for his resignation, he cited interference in his work.
Source: citinewsroom.com
