South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has voiced his agreement with former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu’s assertion that it is unnecessary to involve Parliament in the case of former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah.
According to Dafeamekpor, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng’s inaction has prompted prominent figures, including former Auditor General Daniel Yao Domelovo and lawyer Martin Kpebu, to petition Parliament for a bipartisan investigation into the conduct of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
“I agree with his observations that Parliament is not needed. Parliament as the legislative body has already enacted the necessary laws to empower both EOCO and the OSP,” he told host of Yen Nsempa Nana Yaa Brefo and co-hosted by Isaac Ekow JB on Onua FM, May 29.
“Parliament specifically designed the EOCO Act to tackle corruption, but its inefficiencies led us to establish the OSP. It is perplexing and disappointing to see the OSP defaulting to EOCO,” Dafeamekpor added.
Dafeamekpor elaborated on the issue, stating that the OSP was empowered to investigate corruption and its related issues comprehensively, without fear or favor, following the realization that EOCO had previously fallen short in this role.
Adding that the OSP’s establishment aimed to rectify EOCO’s past inadequacies and ensure more robust investigations under Article 88 of the Constitution.
“The decision to create the OSP was based on the need for a more competent body to handle corruption investigations, a task EOCO struggled with, often making errors that led to their findings being overturned by the High Court,” Dafeamekpor said.
He criticized the SP’s decision to refer Cecilia Dapaah’s case back to EOCO on the claim that his office lacked the authority to prosecute and take action, a counterproductive move given the OSP’s mandate.
“The OSP has been given extensive powers to investigate and prosecute corruption independently. Referring the case to EOCO undermines the very purpose of the OSP’s creation. However, due to EOCO’s historical shortcomings, the OSP was introduced to provide a more thorough and reliable mechanism for investigating corruption.
Dafeamekpor emphasized that the OSP is the appropriate body to handle the investigation.
He suggested that if the OSP required assistance, it could seek support from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the police, which would investigate and then submit a report to the Attorney-General for further action.
“The proper entity to investigate Cecilia Dapaah’s case is the OSP. If the OSP feels they need help, they can always rely on the police CID to assist. The CID can conduct investigations and provide a report to the Attorney-General, who will then advise on prosecution,” Dafeamekpor concluded.
By Lois Dogbe
