George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South has said developments stemming from the petition for the removal of William Kissi Agyebeng from office as Special Prosecutor is an indication that “corruption is actually winning.”
Adding up to a Mr. Domelevo’s assertion on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, May 18, 2024, that “corruption is fighting back” at the Special Prosecutor, the lawmaker thinks the canker is not just fighting back but is winning.
According to the Cape Coast South legislator, President’s Akufo-Addo’s supposed commitment to fight corruption were mere rhetoric and not anything he meant by action.
He alleges anyone in the chain including his own appointees are expected to be be seen fighting corruption instead of fighting it in reality.
“It tells me clearly that not only is corruption fighting back but corruption is actually winning. It has become clear that even the president when he started by saying he is going to fight corruption, he did not actually mean to fight corruption but to be seen to be fighting corruption not necessarily with the conviction to fight corruption and along the chain, whoever he appoints to be in that team of fighting that corruption is only to be seen [to be fighting corruption],” he indicated.
Sharing the same sentiment on the show was former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo who sarcastically said Agyebeng might has read his term of reference wrongly.
“To me it will mean that definitely they are in a hurry to get him off because definitely Kissi did not read his terms of reference correctly, if you would allow me to say, I’m being sarcastic I do not mean that he did not read it well. Most of the time when you’re appointed to anti-corruption positions you think your job or mandate is to fight corruption but those who appointed you want you to just pretend to be fighting corruption. I think that was his mandate but he misread it. He thought his job was to fight corruption and corruption is fighting back and they are not happy with him so I will not be surprised,” he said in relation to his assertion that the President may be asking Mr. Kissi Agyebeng to step aside whilst investigation is ongoing.
Background
Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu, the former Special Prosecutor, has filed a petition for the impeachment of William Kissi Agyebeng as the current occupant of the office.
Mr Amidu alleges procurement breaches in the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and abuses involving judges and the administration of justice as part of his call for Mr. Agyebeng’s impeachment.
Other allegations include violations of citizens’ rights through arrests and detentions, violations of the right to information, and improper appointments of personnel to the office.
Additionally, Mr. Amidu alleges a violation of the right to information when he requested appointment letters and salary details of all OSP staff to be put on a pen drive for him, which Mr. Agyebeng refused.
The petition dated April 30, 2024, was presented to President Akufo-Addo and forwarded to the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, on May 6, 2024 for onward processing.
The Chief Justice, according to sources, is determining whether there is a prima facie case to establish a committee for Mr. Agyebeng’s removal as required by the Constitution in Article 146.
Domelevo shares his only reservation with Amidu’s petition to get Agyebeng out as SP
