Amidu Reports Ayariga to EOCO

The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has reported the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central to the Economic and Organised Crime Office for attempting to obstruct investigations against him.

According to Mr Amidu, Mahama Ayariga is sending friends, former colleagues, chiefs, men of God to dissuade him from pressing on with criminal investigations against him.

Mr Amidu says despite all his attempts to get Ayariga to back down on sending people to beg him to drop the investigation, the MP won’t budge.

“I asked EOCO on a number of occasions to warn the suspect to desist from his conduct of obstructing the investigations by soliciting others to put pressure on me to abate same to no avail,” he said.

Martin Amidu, according to the statement is investigating the MP for engaging in what the office of the Special Prosecutor believes to be corruption related activities while procuring vehicles.

“The preliminary investigations pertained to the importation into Ghana through corrupt means and corruption-related activities of three used white Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles by using a Parliamentary Resolution dated 7^th April 2017 contracting a facility of US$22, 500, 000.00 between the Parliamentary Service and the Societe Generale Bank (Ghana) which was for the purchase of one brand new official vehicle for each of the 275 Members of Parliament,” the statement said.

Martin Amidu also added that Mahama Ayariga early on refused to honour an invitation to EOCO. The Special Prosecutor office wasn’t set up at the time.

“The suspect refused to report to the offices of EOCO in Accra as demanded by a publication at page 26 of the Daily Graphic,” Amidu wrote.

Mr Amidu subsequently sent a letter to the Speaker of Parliament to release the MP to subject himself to the investigations, triggering the sending of ‘emissaries’ to him.

“I have accordingly, on 3^rd August 2018, requested EOCO to investigate my complaint against the suspect for obstructing me, the Special Prosecutor, in the performance of the functions of my office as the Special Prosecutor,” he added.

Mr Amidu added that he would continue to honour his oath as Special Prosecutor and would not tolerate any interference from anybody or institutions.

When contacted, K. K Amoah, the Executive Director of EOCO declined comments on the matter over whether or not his outfit had received any reports on Mahama Ayariga.