Legal practitioner John Ndebugri says there was no need for President Akufo-Addo to establish the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight corruption.
Speaking on Newsnight, he said that the Attorney General’s office is already mandated by law to deal with criminal offenses including issues the Special Prosecutor is tasked with.
He stated that the office is not only “redundant” but an establishment that places a burden on the taxpayer.
“If people are found to be corrupt or to be engaging in corruption-related activities, there’s sufficient office to deal with that. The constitution has mandated the Attorney-General to be the sole prosecutor for all criminal offenses in the country."
"It is a matter of marshaling the will and then the resilience to deal with people who commit these crimes, it is not about creating more and more offices. So, my position really from day one has been that the Office of Special Prosecutor is very redundant."
Mr. Ndebugri said that the office has become another extension of bureaucracy that exists just to employ people.
“They will go there and be enjoying themselves and we the taxpayer will be sponsoring them,” he added.
His statements come after Legal Practitioner and Chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal, Kissi Agyebeng, was nominated to replace Martin Amidu as the next Special Prosecutor by the Attorney-General.
The President is, however, yet to make a formal declaration of his nomination to the Special Prosecutor's Office.
However, Mr. Ndebugri said it is worrying that even before his approval, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng has been cited to face some conflict of interest provisions.
He stated that prior to Martin Amidu’s appointment, the citizen vigilante did not face these “negative attributes” his successor is facing and yet his relationship with the office did not end on a good note.
“That is why I am saying that all this business about Special Prosecutor is all politics and bureaucracy, just marshall the will to deal with people who engage themselves in corruption and the offices are already there. We don’t need to go and create another office to do that, the (Special Prosecutor) Office was created by law and it can be abolished by law.”
Latest Stories
-
FDA discovers expired food items at Zuarungu SHS storeroom
24 mins -
Bahamas World Relays: Ghana paired with world and Olympic champions in Heat 1
8 hours -
Bahamas 2024 Relays: Star-studded cast ready to put on pre-Paris show
9 hours -
Bahamas Relays preview: clash of global title-winning teams in men’s 4x100m
9 hours -
Arsenal keeper Raya wins Premier League Golden Glove
9 hours -
Iñaki Williams scores twice in Athletic Bilbao’s win over Getafe
9 hours -
Argument with Salah ‘completely resolved’ – Klopp
9 hours -
Reus to leave Dortmund at the end of the season
10 hours -
Uefa confirms 26-man squads for Euro 2024
10 hours -
Teacher Unions press home demands for the new allowances
10 hours -
Media’s failure to hold government accountable for ‘galamsey’ alarming – Mahama
10 hours -
Keta Presbytery urges Akufo-Addo to assent to anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
10 hours -
Ghanaian midfielder Lawrence Ofori nets maiden goal of the season with stunner against Vizela
10 hours -
Community fearful after off-duty policemen shot dead at East Trasacco
10 hours -
Dext Technology partners KNUST to train basic school teachers on STEM
11 hours