President Akufo-Addo asked Kissi Agyebeng to resign but he said no – Martin Kpebu

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has alleged that President Akufo-Addo recently requested Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to resign from his position.

However, Mr Agyebeng refused to comply with the President’s directive. Mr Kpebu noted that former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu’s petition for Agyebeng’s removal provided President Akufo-Addo with an opportunity to dismiss him.

Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, May 18, Mr Kpebu said “Martin Amidu has served as an opportunity for President Akufo-Addo to get Kissi Agyebeng out, Akufo-Addo had asked Kissi to resign a few months ago.”

When asked about the source of this information, he said, “I have my sources at the presidency, and they told me that President Akufo-Addo asked Kissi to resign but Kissi said no, he is not going anywhere. Because Akufo-Addo is scared that the way Kissi is showing a bit of independence, a bit of steam, if he leaves Kissi in office, Kissi is likely to prosecute him and his appointees.”

Mr. Kpebu further suggested that the petition aims to remove Kissi Agyebeng to install a more pliable individual in his place. He accused President Akufo-Addo of orchestrating this petition.

“It is an attempt to push Kissi out and get a very malleable special prosecutor, it is a serious blow to the fight against corruption, we would have thought that at this time Akufo Addo would think about how to resource the Office of the Special prosecutor yet he is rather more interested in removing the SP.

“There have been several petitions in the past that Akufo-Addo never acted on. Oliver Barker Vormawor petitioned Akufo-Addo to remove Jean Mensa but Akufo-Addo never acted on it. This one, for him to have acted swiftly, it shows he is happy and I am sure he is behind this. Because Kissi is showing a bit of independence Akufo-Addo is afraid that when he leaves office he will be prosecuted,” Kpebu said on News Central on TV3 on Friday, May 17.

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has written to Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, requesting his comments on a petition filed by his predecessor, Martin Amidu, seeking his removal.

The Chief Justice’s letter indicates that Mr. Agyebeng’s comments are needed to determine whether a prima facie case can be established. In the letter dated Thursday, May 16, the Chief Justice specifically asked for his input to assist in making this determination.

“This is to forward to you a copy of the petition dated 30th April 2024 sent to the Office of the President which was forwarded to the Office of the Honourable Lady Chief Justice on 6th May 2024. Kindly provide your comments on the matters raised to enable the Honourable Chief Justice to determine if a prima facie case has been made out.”

Former Attorney-General Martin Amidu has filed a petition against Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, alleging procurement breaches in the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and abuses involving judges and the administration of justice.

The petition includes further accusations of rights violations through arrests and detentions, breaches of the right to information, and improper personnel appointments within the OSP. Additionally, Amidu claims that Agyebeng violated the right to information by refusing to provide him with appointment letters and salary details of all OSP staff on a pen drive.