General News of Sunday, 22 November 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

GH¢36m compensation was shared among the staff of the OSP – Captain Smart alleges

Martin Amidu, Special Prosecutor play videoMartin Amidu, Special Prosecutor

Captain Smart, host of ‘Anopa Bofour’ on Angel FM, says that the former Special Prosecutor signed for the disbursement of GH¢36m as compensation among the staff who worked at the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the year 2018.

“In 2018, they shared GH¢36m as compensation and you signed that money should be paid to workers who are not up 100. What is called compensation?” he said on his show on Friday.

“What is Martin Amidu talking about? Ask him if they did not share GH¢36m in that office.”

Captain Smart claimed further that Martin Amidu whilst in office presented a one-year budget of GH¢360m just for logistics.

According to him, Martin Amidu presented his budget to the presidency on a Thursday and the president called him [Martin Amidu] on Friday, thus a day after he presented the budget and he was asked how he wants the money to be disbursed.

Captain Smart claimed also that Martin Amidu indicated that he would need the money to be paid by installments, that as and when he needed it, he would alert the presidency for it to be paid.

Smart said that the President suggested to Amidu that, since, he, Amidu had expressed interest in working at the speed of light, then paying the money by instalment would not help. Instead, the President suggested that Amidu should be given a reasonable amount of money that would help him work well so that when he needed the remaining amount, it would be given to him.

“The finance ministry was directed on a Wednesday to pay GH¢180m into the Special Prosecutor’s account, so that he can work with it,” Captain Smart said.

“Why blame Ghanaians when you refused to purchase the car you requested in your budget?” he quizzed.

Captain Smart warned that political parties should desist from making political capital with what Martin Amidu has done.

“He’s so much indisciplined eh! That man? Do you know that he punched somebody at the late Prof Mills’ office? Martin Amidu gave a Minister a blow and he fell flat on the president’s table,” Smart said.

“I’m daring him. I am pushing him, he should come out and speak…Martin Amidu can’t even prosecute an ant.”

Captain Smart indicated furthermore that later after the GH¢180m was paid, an additional GH¢88m was paid into the OSP account.

“What is he talking about? What is Martin Amidu talking about? He should stop,” Captain Smart stressed.

Martin Amidu on Monday, November 16, 2020, resigned from his position as the Special Prosecutor.

In a resignation letter to the President, Martin Amidu said: "The one condition upon which I accepted to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor when you invited me to your Office on 10th January 2018 was your firm promise to me that you will respect and ensure same by your Government for my independence and freedom of action as the Special Prosecutor."