Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has exposed his successor, Kissi Agyebeng, for his alleged corruption and nepotism in a 15-page statement. Amidu, who resigned from his position in November 2020, accused Agyebeng of using his office to enrich himself and his friends, and of compromising the integrity and independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Amidu claims to have received information and intelligence from informants and the media that Agyebeng and his associates were demanding and receiving bribes from suspects under investigation by the OSP. He said that some of the suspects were either relatives or friends or former clients of Agyebeng or his staff, and that some of the cases were suppressed or delayed because of these connections.
“I do not know whether the Special Prosecutor knows that tongues have been wagging from informants and intelligence, and in the media that a friend of the Special Prosecutor from the mountains usually demands and receives considerations allegedly for the benefit of the OSP during the preliminary investigation and full investigations of case to tamper with the resultant threats to continue with the case and to prosecute the suspects in court. Tongues have also been wagging that Issah Seidu had to suffer incarceration for long periods because his friends and relations at home and abroad could not raise considerations to meet demands from some staff of the OSP. Tongues are further wagging that there are completed investigation dockets in the OSP which are not moving forward because senior officials of the OSP, including its head, are either relatives or friends or former professional representatives of the suspects or have received considerations from the suspects,” he said.
Amidu also questioned the procurement of over 50 vehicles and cars by the OSP, some of which were allegedly involved in an accident on the Tema Motorway. He said that the OSP did not have an operational procurement entity at the time and that the public did not hear or see any donation or grant from any source for these vehicles. He said that this raised suspicions of violations of the procurement law and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) approval.
“I got to know that in 2022 the OSP took possession of over fifty operational vehicles and cars some with bullet proof fortifications from the Tema port which were hidden under the basement of the OSP. The OSP did not have an operational procurement entity at the time to enable the OSP to procure them from its moneys approved by Parliament; internally generated funds, and grants approved by the Minister responsible for Finance in consultation with the Attorney-General. My information is that two of the vehicles driven from the Tema Port in convey got involved in an accident on the Tema Motorway in which one of the vehicles became a complete write-off. The public has not heard or seen the President, Attorney-General or any entity presenting these over fifty vehicles as gifts to the OSP as is the usual practice with donations in the form of grants. A media briefing by the OSP will assuage public suspicions of violations of the procurement law in their procurement,” he said.
He also alleged that Agyebeng procured a fleet of vehicles, including pickups, from a car rental company belonging to his friend or associated with his friend, who is also an employee of the OSP, without going through a competitive bidding process and the PPA approval. He said that Agyebeng also rented or purchased a Prado four wheel drive for the Chief Accountant of the OSP, who is a signatory to the OSP accounts, without the same favour for other heads of departments.
“Still on procurement! Can the Special Prosecutor explain at a media briefing one of his first acts on his assumption of office – how he came to procure a fleet of vehicles including pickups from a car rental company allegedly belonging to his friend or associated with his friend who is alleged to be one of his employees now which he used as back-up for his security details without going through a competitive car rental company bidding process and the approval of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA)? What consideration informed the alleged immediate procurement by renting or purchasing a Prado four wheel drive without PPA approval for the Chief Accountant of the OSP who is a signatory to the OSP accounts only weeks after assuming office when other heads of departments went without the same favour? Remember that the OSP investigates and prosecutes procurement malpractices and the OSP’s press conference will instil confidence in the investigatory work of the OSP when the OSP investigates persons suspected of the commission of similar procurement offences,” he said.
Amidu also accused Agyebeng of travelling abroad frequently on the public purse without any written information to his deputy or the public. He said that Agyebeng even travelled with orderlies who had no security functions to perform on such trips, and that some of his friends accompanied him on some of these trips at their own expense.
“The Special Prosecutor should be addressing a press conferences on whether it is true that since his assumption of office he has spent more than a third of the year in 2021, 2022, and 2023 traveling abroad on the public purse without any written information to his deputy on his travelling abroad. Is it true that the Special Prosecutor even travels with orderlies who have no security functions to perform on such trips abroad?. Is it also true that certain friends of the Special Prosecutor accompany him on some of these trips at their own expense which can be detected from entries from the Ghana Immigration Service data base? By the way, the public wishes to know how many times the Special Prosecutor has traveled abroad on official duties since 9 August 2021, and if accompanied by whom; and whether the DSP was formally informed about these travels abroad. It may well be that when the Special Prosecutor becomes more transparent and accountable and addresses the issues raised at a media briefing, the suspicions of members of the public who may be tarnishing the integrity of the OSP may be put to rest. I raise them here because of the invitation thrown to the public by the Special Prosecutor and the fact that the policy of the OSP to be transparent with the public is a two way street of openness and accountability,” he said.
Amidu said that he raised these issues because of the invitation thrown to the public by Agyebeng to support the OSP in its work. He said that he wanted the OSP to be transparent and accountable and to address the issues raised at the media briefing. He said that he wanted to protect the integrity and independence of the OSP from becoming a rogue institution.
Read the full text of Amidu’s statement below.
Kissi Agyebeng, The Special… by The Independent Ghana