The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, says Special Prosecutor-nominee, Kissi Agyebeng does not come close to former SC Martin Amidu in terms of credentials.
According to him, Kissi Agyebeng lacks the weight and will to fight corruption.
The Tamale South MP speaking to Citi News said the appointment is disappointing.
“Credentials compared to who? Mr. Martin Amidu is a non-starter. Compared to Mr. Martin Amidu in terms of stature, experience, integrity, and reputation, he [Kissi Agyebeng] just doesn’t come close. You need men of weight and will to fight corruption. Mr. Martin Amidu suited [the Office] perfectly but because he would not get the cooperation and the support of the president, he had to bow out.â€
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The Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, nominated the law lecturer and private legal practitioner as the replacement for Martin Amidu, who resigned from the position in November 2020.
Parliament is yet to set a date for his vetting.
If approved, Mr. Agyebeng will be Ghana’s second Special Prosecutor since the office was established in 2017.
After Agyebeng’s name was announced, several persons have shared their opinions on the appointment, with some claiming he is too young to fight graft in Ghana.
The nomination
Section 13(8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) requires the President to appoint a person qualified for appointment as Special Prosecutor within six months of the Office becoming vacant.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has the mandate to investigate and prosecute all suspected corruption and corruption-related offences as pertaining to public officers, politically exposed persons and persons in the private sector alleged to have been involved in any corruption and corruption-related offences.
Apart from initiating investigations on its own, Act 959 gives the Office of the Special Prosecutor the power to receive and investigate complaints of alleged corruption from the public or investigate suspected corruption or corruption-related offences upon referral from public bodies such as the Attorney General’s Department, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Kissi Agyebeng was called to the Ghana Bar in October 2003 and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Ghana, as well as Master of Laws (LLM) degrees from Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Canada and Cornell Law School, USA.
He has, since 2006, been teaching Criminal Law at the University of Ghana, whilst engaging in private law practice.