President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has chastised Martin Amidu for creating an impression that he had uncovered “serious corruption and corruption-related offences” regarding the Agyapa minerals transaction.

According to the President’s response signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, the Secretary to the President, Amidu’s claims that he “intended to open full investigations as the Special Prosecutor” is the “most disingenuous” statement he made in his resignation letter because it was “not supported by the facts”.

In a nine-page detailed response to the immediate past Special Prosecutor’s resignation letter, the President through Bediatuo Asante, his Secretary, indicated that there was nowhere Martin Amidu expressed an intention to the President to open investigations into the Agyapa matter.

Bediatuo referenced paragraph 33 of Amidu’s letter to the President dated 16 October, 2020, to buttress his argument.

Therein Amidu had written: “This assessment does not constitute an investigation even though formal investigations for the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences may arise from this corruption risk assessment.”

Bediatuo Asante continued: “The real question is what prevented your Office from investigating the alleged corruption-related offences which may have arisen from your assessment of the Agyapa transaction? Having clearly indicated that your report was not a criminal investigation which you are mandated under section 2 of Act 959 to carry out, it is confusing and incomprehensible how you can, in your letter, claim that your report ‘discloses several serious corruption and corruption-related offences’, without you taking any further step in the matter consistent with your mandate.”

Bediatuo concluded that it was difficult to find any tangible basis for the claim of political interference in Amidu’s “performance of the duties of the Special Prosecutor from 20 October, 2020 to 1 November, 2020”.

“The President’s meetings with you and the request for you to give the public officers a hearing cannot sincerely or properly give rise to such an allegation,” Bediatuo’s response stressed.