My Office Lacks Resources To Prosecute Criminals – Amidu

Martin Amidu, has voice out the challenges he’s facing in making his office work in accordance to prosecute state officials in amends of his office as the Special Prosecutor.

The country was faced with much joy after the office of the Special Prosecutor was established by President Akufo-Addo, but that has not been left to the lowest since the office came into existence.

Parliament passed a law in November in 2017 to establish the Office of the Special Prosecutor as a specialized agency to investigate specific cases of corruption, involving public officers and individuals in the private sector implicated in corrupt practices.

But several months on, the office is yet to be fully effective after the noise that greeted the appointment of the man affectionately called ‘Citizen Vigilante’, for his anti-corruption campaigns.

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA), earlier called on government to as a matter of urgency, resource the office of the Special Prosecutor to carry out its mandate of fighting corruption and prosecuting corrupt officials.

Whiles commending government on the establishment of the office and the subsequent appointment of Mr. Martin Amidu, Mr. Benson Nutsupkui, the President of GBA asked government to resource special prosecutor office to be able to fight against corruption.

Speaking at the National Audit Forum organised by the Ghana Audit Service, Martin Amidu said his office lacks the resources to deliver.

“I am saying this for the public to understand that we have set up an office. We have to organize that office, have the requisite personnel. It does not take one day. The law says 90 days after the assumption of office of the Special Prosecutor, pursuant legislation must be enacted, but as I speak today, I have no legislation so I use my common sense.”

According to him, his office will not be able to fully discharge its duties for betterment if the situation is not addressed by appropriate quarters.

“The law says I can coordinate with other organizations so I coordinate with the Auditor General, I coordinate with EOCO, I coordinate with other anti corruption agencies so as to find a way by which we can begin to work towards the ultimate end. I have warned that if most of these things are not done by the middle of this year then this office may not be able to be seen to be doing its mandate, because by middle next year we are in an election year. If I arrest someone, you will turn out and look at it; which party does he hold the insurance card for?”