Special Prosecutor Bares Teeth At Corrupt Persons

Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has reiterated his desire to deal ruthlessly with public officials who engage in corrupt practices in the country. This time around referring particularly to ghost public officials who are on a payroll.

Government yesterday at a press conference announced its decision to begin a nationwide payroll audit to eliminate ghost names in the public sector. Ghost names has in the past and currently become a problem of the country draining the public purse in the process.

The nationwide payroll audit exercise will begin next week Tuesday from the Central Region. It is a joint venture between the office of the special prosecutor and the auditor general’s department.

Lawyer Martin Amidu at the press conference yesterday when the announcement was made disclosed that his appointment clashing with the Auditor-General is an opportunity to work together to fish out all ghost public officials on a payroll.

“My appointment with his (Auditor-General) being the Auditor-General have brought two valid different and people but thinking the same way together. So we have decided that when Auditors are auditing any organization, department or ministry and they detect anything they shouldn’t wait until they complete the report. They should notify me and as long as it is related to corruption and corruption related offence, he will take over and begin investigations”, Martin Amidu said.

He also stated that during the payroll auditing, the Auditors General Department will present their finding to his office for them to take it from there and prosecute.

“During the payroll audit when he finds any suspicions of the commission of crime, he will signal us so that we will move in immediately and begin an investigations”.

The special prosecutor is also expecting that at the end of the exercise, people who have been taking money they are not supposed to take from the Government will be brought to light and dealt with. Such people are causing harm to the public purse.

“By the time the exercise is finished, if there are people who have committed any corruption or corruption related offences, we will deal with them together with the self-seeking collaborators. So by the end of the exercise we will have prosecutable documents ready so that we can go to court”.

He also observes that they are trying to depart from the formal procedure where the Auditor-General submits a report to Parliament, it is discussed and people think that well after parliament has discussed no prosecution will be done.