General News of Friday, 27 November 2020

Source: classfmonline.com

Get Singapore, UK, US or Denmark to probe Agyapa – Amidu to Akufo-Addo

Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has dared President Akufo-Addo to invite independent anti-corruption officers from Singapore, UK, US or Denmark to probe the controversial Agyapa Royalties Transaction Agreement if they will not arrive at the same conclusion he did.

Mr Amidu in his anti-corruption assessment report on the Agyapa deal said the Transaction Advisor(s) involved in the deal were susceptible to “nepotism, cronyism and favouritism”.

According to Mr Amidu, the Agyapa Royalties Transaction is suspected to have been “intended to rob the chiefs and people of Ghana of their patrimony as the beneficiaries of the gold extractive resources of our dear country in perpetuity for the benefit of a very few members of the president’s government as distinct from the New Patriotic Party.”

Mr Amidu said this in response to comments made by the Presidency after accepting his resignation as Special Prosecutor.

According to the citizen vigilante, he resigned as Special Prosecutor because the President was interfering in his work with regards to the Agyapa deal and wanted him to ‘shelve’ the report.

But the President in a letter accepting Mr Amidu’s resignation denied ever interfering in his work and rather said he gave him all the assistance and independence to operate.

Mr Amidu, however, in his latest reply said he is confident of his findings in the Agyapa deal.

He said: “The government may wish to invite a trusted and friendly anti-corruption country such as Singapore or the United Kingdom or the United States or Denmark to send independent anti-corruption officers to replicate my analysis and anti-corruption assessment work giving rise to the report using the same source letters and documents.

“I am confident, professionally and ethically that they will arrive at the same anti-corruption assessments contained in the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions Report.”

“I explained this my dear friend, the Minister of Finance when he visited me as early as 5.36am on the morning of 22 October 2020, in the company of a mutual friend.”

“I pray that the president takes up this challenge so that the concerted effort he’s leading to throw me under the bus and bringing my reputation into disrepute for acting professionally in the Agyapa anti- corruption assessment report in which the President has a personal interest comes to an end,” he added.