Amidu To AG — You Sent Your Deputy To Jail Wontumi, But Sent Nobody To Keep Sedina Tamakloe In Jail

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has raised questions about what he considers a difference in the approach taken by Ghana’s prosecution authorities in cases involving businessman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.

In a Facebook post, Amidu questioned why Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai personally took charge of the prosecution of Wontumi in the Samreboi illegal mining case, while, in his view, the state appeared less active in defending Tamakloe’s conviction during the appellate process.

Wontumi was brought before the court in connection with allegations involving unlicensed mining activities and the transfer of mineral rights without the required approval. The prosecution called four witnesses before the case resulted in a conviction.

Amidu contrasted that case with Tamakloe’s legal proceedings. She was convicted by the High Court on 78 counts, including stealing and causing financial loss to the state, and received a 10-year prison sentence. She subsequently appealed the judgment.

The Court of Appeal later acquitted and discharged Tamakloe. Following the ruling, Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine announced that he had instructed the Director of Public Prosecutions to begin the process of appealing the decision at the Supreme Court.

Former Attorney-General Godfred Dame has also raised concerns about the handling of Tamakloe’s appeal, claiming that his office was not informed about the appeal when it was filed.

Amidu stressed that his criticism was not intended to determine whether Wontumi or Tamakloe was guilty or innocent. Instead, he said the issue was whether the prosecution authorities had applied a consistent standard in the two matters.

He is seeking an explanation for the Deputy Attorney-General’s direct involvement in the Wontumi prosecution and why, according to his assessment, a comparable level of urgency was not evident in the earlier stages of Tamakloe’s appeal.

The former Special Prosecutor believes the contrasting approaches warrant public scrutiny and clarification from the relevant authorities.