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Ghana has benefited from Amidu's Agyapa assessment - Martin Kpebu

By Justice Kofi Bimpeh
Martin Kpebu
Martin Kpebu
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Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu says Ghana has benefited from the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu's Corruption Risk Assessment on the Agyapa Royalties deal.

Speaking to TV3 on the report, Martin Kpebu said even though it came late it has benefited the country immensely.

He noted that it is a good thing that the Special Prosecutor has introduced a corruption risk assessment into our governance and legal system.

With this, he believes Martin Amidu has moved our democracy a notch higher.

Martin Kpebu explained that the assessment should be done for all projects in the coming years.

READ ALSO : Airbus scandal: I’m disappointed in Martin Amidu - Mahama

He bemoaned the partisan reactions to the report and called on politicians to see it as a good step for our governance system.

According to him, because this is the first time of such a report it will be good for some political actors not to rubbish it.

Martin Amidu has also called on the Presidency, not to trivialise the corruption risk assessment report of this office on the Agyapa Royalties deal.

A statement from the office said, "The Special Prosecutor read last night a Press Release signed by Mr Eugene Arhin, the Communications Director, Communications Directorate Jubilee House — Accra which contains statements which are inconsistent with the Press Statement issued by this Office in the morning of 2nd November 2020 on the above subject matter which needs to be clarified for purposes of accuracy and truthfulness."

Responding to a statement issued by the Presidency signed by Eugene Arhin, Martin Amidu said, "H. E. the President offered to give me a copy of the alleged comments of the Hon. Minister of Finance to this Office's letter with reference number OSP/SCR/20/12/20 dated 16th October 2020 on 1 st November 2020 which I politely refused to take because one could not make comments on conclusions and observations of a letter which did not constitute the full report. I also wanted to preserve the independence of this Office as an anti-corruption agency which does not take instructions on the performance of the anti-corruption functions of the Office."

"How could anybody think that a thirteen (13) page letter with a reference number constitutes a full assessment report of such an important transaction affecting a most important extractive national resource which is a patrimony of the Chiefs and people of Ghana and generations unborn? The reaction to the full report vindicates my caution."

"I forwarded the completed sixty-four (64) page report signed by the Special Prosecutor and dated 15th October 2020 to H. E. the President under cover of letter with reference number OSP/SCR/13/20 dated 2nd November 2020 which was signed and received at the Presidency at 12:04 p. m. I forwarded the same completed sixty-four (64) page report to the Rt Hon. Speaker of Parliament under cover of letter with reference number OSP/SCR/8/37/10 and copied the Majority, and Minority Leaders which were each received at I •.04 p. m for the Speaker; at 1:19 p. m. for the Majority Leader; and at 1:19 p. m. for the Minority Leader. I also forwarded the same report to Hon. Minister of Finance under cover of letter with reference number OSP/SCR/39/22/39/20 also of even date which was received at 12.15 p. m."

 

 

 

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