General News of Saturday, 29 June 2013

Source: Joy Online

Pressure mounts on Martin Amidu to go to court again

Nana Ato Dadzie, a former Chief of Staff has called on Martin Amidu, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, to go to court to prosecute corrupt officials named in a letter he sent to government.

Martin Amidu is daring government to prove that he failed to mention the names of those he suspected to be involved in "the judgement debt crimes against Ghana".

Mr. Amidu’s challenge is in response to a statement by Deputy Minister for Information, Murtala Mohammed.

The statement said he (Amidu) was dismissed by the late President Mills for failing to mention the names of cabinet ministers in his administration whom he alleged, were directly involved in the judgement debt.

Martin Amidu says government has been provided with names of these persons, but the state was protecting them.

He has threatened to expose these alleged "criminals" citing official government reluctance to prosecute them.

But Nana Ato Dadzie has advised the ‘judgment debt hero’ to desist from engaging in a “petty” media war with government ministers.

“If you have named people and nothing is happening, just as you went to the Supreme Court…pursue the action through the legitimate institutions of state,” he urged.

He congratulated Mr. Amidu's efforts in securing high-profile rulings against Isofoton and Watervile. He suggested the naming of an anti-corruption law after Martin Amidu.

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, managing editor of The New Statesman newspaper backed the call for Amidu to go to court. He said, despite Amidu giving these names to the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), “there is nothing stopping him”, from proceeding to court.

“The onus is more on him,” he pointed out.

Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper toed the line saying Amidu is still entitled to go to court. He described government’s response to him as “infantile acts of provocation”.

He wondered why government would be hesitant in publishing the said letter.

"Government should accept the challenge to enable us have informed discussions on the letter...If you can’t accept Amidu’s challenge, don’t provoke him," Baako advised.