A Fellow of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) says the circumstances surrounding Martin Amidu’s resignation shows that the country has lost the fight against corruption.

According to him, the President’s failure to ensure in entirety, the independence and freedom of the Office of the Special Prosecutor undermines Ghana’s anti-corruption campaign.

Speaking on Accra-based radio station, Asempa FM on Tuesday, the Florida University Professor noted that until corrections are made to the system by way of protecting people involved in the anti-corruption crusade, the fight against corruption will remain retrogressive.

“I don’t think we are making progress, but rather regressing. I want to change the assertion that corruption fights back at those who challenge it, because there is no fight. Corruption has won,” he said.

Mr. Amidu’s decision to resign as Special Prosecutor, as contained in his letter to President Akufo-Addo on Monday, borders around political interference and lack of freedom in the execution of his constitutional responsibilities, which he described as a “traumatic experience”.

“In undertaking the analysis of the risk of prevention of corruption and anti-corruption assessment I sincerely believed that I was executing an independent mandate under the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Act, 2017 (Act 959) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L. I. 2374).

“The reaction I received for daring to produce the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption report convinces me beyond any reasonable doubt that I was not intended to exercise any independence as the Special Prosecutor in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and recovery of assets of corruption. My position as the Special Prosecutor has consequently become clearly untenable”.

But Prof. Asare believes the now former Special Prosecutor faced these challenges because the Akufo-Addo government only created the Office to earn political scores.

“I feel that most often they are interested in ticking boxes to show as a sign of delivering on manifesto promises, but there is no real commitment. So just like that, they created the Office of the Special Prosecutor, without adequate equipment to facilitate effective work,” he said.