General News of Friday, 21 September 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-09-21
Daniel Domelevo, Auditor-General
Auditor General Daniel Domelevo has cast doubt on the Special Prosecutor’s capability to deliver on his mandate.
At a public lecture to commemorate the third Kwadwo Baah Wiredu memorial lecture, he revealed that the newly created office is fraught with numerous challenges.
Speaking on the theme ‘Protecting the public purse – Keeping the gate shut before the horse bolts’ Thursday, he lauded the president for establishing the Office headed by an anti-corruption campaigner, Martin Amidu.
According to him, although he is ready to work with in the fight against corruption in the public sector, he was unimpressed with the current set up of the Special Prosecutor’s Office.
“Our collaboration I believe can bring about the deterrence that we require in the public sector, but I want to submit that the Special Prosecutor is not sitting well at all. There is no way he can be effective where he is seated.
“I want to invite all of you to visit him but I won’t tell you why…go and visit him and you would see whether you can be effective with only one secretary with no investigator and prosecutor…nothing…” the vociferous Domelevo said.
The former Attorney General, Martin Amidu popularly called Citizen Vigilante was appointed by the president, Nana Akufo-Addo as the Special Prosecutor in fulfilment of his campaign promise.
In a bid to do away with complaints of witch-hunting the president promised to establish the Office independent of the Attorney General to prosecute corruption offences in public office.
Not long after that, the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo indicated that some administrative arrangements are underway to equip the Office with the requisite resources.
This was after it came to light that office, where Mr Amidu is to work from, was incomplete, a month after he was officially sworn-in.
“The Special Prosecutor has been sworn into power. There are issues of setting up administrative structures before he [Special Prosecutor] can start anything and he is in the process of doing that,” she said then.
But so far, the Office is yet to be resourced to deliver on with its core mandate.
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) at its recent annual General Conference in Koforidua called on government to as a matter of urgency to resource the Office.
President of the Association Benson Nutsupkui also asked government to resource other anti-corruption institutions such as the Ministry of Justice, EOCO, CHRAJ and among others.
Adding his voice to the calls to retool the Office, Mr Domelevo said it is impossible for Ghanaians to expect Mr Amidu to deliver consider the resources at his disposal.
“If we want to do something let’s do it well. I believe if that office if well resourced, it will help Ghana to go forward again,” he said.
According to him, if the corruption fight will be worn, there is the need for government to resource other anti-corruption agencies so they can play their roles without any interference.