Martin Amidu‘s Outbursts ‘Surprising‘ - Attorney-General

The Attorney-General Gloria Akuffo says she's surprised by comments of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, suggesting his office has not received the necessary support to to deliver its full mandate.

According to her, on no occasion has Mr. Amidu mentioned to her in their meetings that his work is being frustrated by some uncooperative government appointees.

She, however, assured that the grievances of the Special Prosecutor are already being addressed by the Chief of Staff, adding that there has been 'no breakdown' between her office and that of Mr. Amidu.

'I have held meetings with him [Amidu] that requires sharing ideas about the goings on in the banking industry, we have shared ideas about how we should go about investigating and prosecuting it, there's no time that he had sought to speak with me that I haven't spoken to him,' the Attorney-General said.

'I can't get up and go and buy machines and put in the place and for that reason the Chief of Staff has taken the responsibility to see to it that these things are done. So if you begin to speak like that, it is as though the impression has been created that I have been virulent in my duty to set up that office. I'm saying that's not the case,' Mr. Akuffo added.

This comes after the Special Prosecutor opened up on some of the challenges confronting his office in its quest to deliver its mandate.

Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu
According to him, he has been left frustrated by the lack of resources, which has rendered his office incapable of fully delivering its mandate.

Speaking at the National Audit Forum, Mr. Amidu disclosed that currently he has no legislation and so he uses his common sense to run the Special Prosecutor's office.

'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.'

He added that some Ministries and state agencies have 'refused to produce public records on demand to aid the office in critical investigations, offences running into millions of cedis, clearly demonstrates that there is divergence between the president's vision and that of some of his appointees.

'You ask for information you can't get it, you ask for docket, the docket cannot be produced. You ask a minister for a record, the record cannot be produced. How do you fight corruption when those appointed by the president who has a vision are not coordinating with the office of the special prosecutor to achieve his mandate?'