Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, has said Parliament\u2019s Appointments Committee could disapprove of his nomination as Special Prosecutor if they have reservations.<\/p>\n
Mr. Amidu threw the challenge while answering a question by Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Muntaka, on specific functions he played as Chairman of the Public Agreement Board between 1983 and 1993, during his vetting in Parliament today [Tuesday].<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”7yAqnN8c1pQ7g6N1ChujGrsl5SsTfFVo”]Mr. Amidu recalled that, he shot down contracts which were largely not in the interest of the country while serving as the Board\u2019s Chairman.<\/p>\n
He believes his firm stance against corruption at the time makes him competent for the Special Prosecutor position.<\/p>\n
The lawyer was however quick to add that, the Appointments Committee could disqualify him if they wanted \u201csomebody who will look the other way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so meticulous with my members that unless the contract was in the national interest, I rejected it and I had a hell of problems with Senior Ministers, PNDC members \u2026 I did my job and nobody has been accused of entering into a contract which was not in the national interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the job I did and that is why if you want anybody who will be meticulous in investigation and prosecution, the President has made the best choice for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Amidu, a man who has earned the nickname \u2018Citizen Vigilante\u2019 for his no-nonsense stance and campaign against corruption particularly in the NDC administration, was named by President Akufo-Addo on January 11, 2018, after an emergency cabinet meeting at the Flagstaff House.<\/p>\n
The appointment of Mr. Amidu, a known member of the opposition NDC who has been very critical of the then John Mahama administration for various corruption scandals, came as a shock to many.<\/p>\n
Mr. Amidu was widely commended and celebrated for his fight against corruption, when he single-handedly pursued known NDC businessman Alfred Woyome to the Supreme Court, and secured a ruling for the retrieval of the Ghc51million judgement debt paid to him by the state under the NDC administration.<\/p>\n
Some have suggested the NDC fears Mr. Amidu may pursue a political agenda to jail members of the NDC but the party has stated on several occasions stated that it does not harbors such fears.<\/p>\n
Most members of the NDC who spoke about Mr. Amidu\u2019s appointment, however, acknowledged his competence for the office.<\/p>\n
Nothing to lose at vetting<\/strong><\/p>\n Prior to his vetting, Martin Amidu\u00a0had stressed that he had nothing to win or lose whatever the results of the vetting would be.<\/p>\n H also said he was confident he would win a national poll if the president had put him out to be voted on by Ghanaians whether to be accepted or rejected.<\/p>\n \u201cOne thing I know from the outpouring of support for the President\u2019s nomination of my humble self as the Special Public Prosecutor is that if the President\u2019s wishes were put to a national referendum, all the 275 constituencies of the country will return an overwhelmingly positive endorsement for his choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Ayine sues Amidu\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Amidu\u2019s appointment has not been without controversy as barely 24 hours to the vetting, a former Deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, filed a lawsuit challenging his nomination.<\/p>\n The former deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, among other things posited that, Mr. Amidu, being 66 years of age, is too old to hold that office.<\/p>\n The lawsuit, which was filed at the Supreme Court yesterday [Monday], did not place an injunction on the vetting process, but is praying the court to annul the entire process if it finds merit in the case against Mr. Amidu.<\/p>\n According to Dominic Ayine, it will be unconstitutional for Martin Amidu to be approved for the position.<\/p>\n In his argument, he said the Office of the Special Prosecutor falls under the broad category of public officers who by the constitution must retire by age 60 with a possible extension to 65 years.<\/p>\n The Special Prosecutor is however under Article 145 of the constitution, given the conditions of service of Court of Appeal judges who retires at age 70, but Dominic Ayine holds a different view.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Marian Ansah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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