General News of Sunday, 30 September 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-09-30
Franklin Cudjoe is founding President and CEO of IMANI Center for Policy and Education
President of policy think tank, IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has promised to raise funds to support the work of the Special Prosecutor who recently complained about lack of resources for the Office.
Speaking on Citi TV/ Citi FM’s new analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Mr. Cudjoe said: “I am willing to actually go ahead to also talk to people I know, organizations that can support the office of the Special Prosecutor.”
He said some international bodies have already expressed interest in supporting such an anti-corruption body.
“Some [institutions] actually asked whether they could support the office of the Special Prosecutor. I recall Ford Foundation told me that they think there is an opportunity to support the office and they had wanted to meet the finance ministry long ago. I believe these things can still be activated.”
“There’s the open society initiative for West Africa who are coming into town in two weeks’ time, we have to tell them that these are very important structures in our democratic structures so we need to support them. So if the money is not there some of these people can support us,” he added.
Franklin Cudjoe gave the assurance on the back of recent outburst of the Special Prosecutor, Marin Amidu, who complained bitterly about lack of legislation and logistics for his office.
Mr. Amidu also said his job is becoming difficult due what he described as lack of support from government appointees.
“I am saying this for the public to understand that we have set up an office. We have to organize that office, have the requisite personnel. It does not take one day. The law says 90 days after the assumption of office of the Special Prosecutor, pursuant legislation must be enacted, but as I speak today, I have no legislation so I use my common sense,” he added.
Franklin Cudjoe, however, took a swipe at the Akufo-Addo government for not being able to resource the Special Prosecutor’s office despite making so much noise about it.
“The last person we should be hearing complaints about lack of resources is actually the Special Prosecutor. Don’t forget that it was one of the most quantifiable promises that Nana Akufo-Addo made, that in six months he was going to get an office of the Special Prosecutor in place,” Mr. Cudjoe stated.
Background
It was expected that the Special Prosecutor’s Office would pursue all reports of corruption about former and present government officials as President Akufo-Addo promised during the 2016 election campaign.
However, since the establishment of the Office and the appointment of Martin Amidu as the Special Prosecutor by the Akufo-Addo, there have been concerns that the office is not resourced to adequately function.
The lack of resources for the Office has alarmed many who believed Mr. Amidu’s appointment would reduce corruption to the barest minimum.
There have numerous calls on the government to resource and equip the Special Prosecutor’s Office with both the Ghana Bar Association and the Auditor General adding their voices.