Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has claimed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently requested Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng to resign from his position. However, according to Kpebu, Agyebeng refused to comply with the President’s directive. Kpebu also stated that former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu provided President Akufo-Addo with an opportunity to remove Agyebeng through his petition for Agyebeng’s removal.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, May 18, Kpebu said “Martin Amidu has served as an opportunity for President Akufo-Addo to get Kissi Agyebeng out, Akufo-Addo had asked Kissi to resign a few months ago.”
When asked about the source of this information, he said “I have my sources at the presidency, and they told me that President Akufo-Addo asked Kissi to resign but Kissi said no, he is not going anywhere. Because Akufo-Addo is scared that the way Kissi is showing a bit of independence, a bit of steam if he leaves Kissi in office, Kissi is likely to prosecute him and his appointees.”
Kpebu further indicated that the petition is an attempt to remove Kissi in order to get a very malleable person into that office. Kpebu accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of being behind this petition.
“It is an attempt to push Kissi out and get a very malleable special prosecutor, it is a serious blow to the fight against corruption, we would have thought that at this time Akufo Addo would think about how to resource the Office of the Special prosecutor yet he is rather more interested in removing the SP.
“There have been several petitions in the past that Akufo-Addo never acted on. Oliver Barker Vormawor petitioned Akufo-Addo to remove Jean Mensa but Akufo-Addo never acted on it. This one, for him to have acted swiftly, it shows he is happy and I am sure he is behind this. Because Kissi is showing a bit of independence Akufo-Addo is afraid that when he leaves office he will be prosecuted,” Kpebu said on the News Central on TV3 on Friday, May 17.
Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo had written to Kissi Agyebeng to provide his comments on the petition that has been filed by his predecessor Martin Amidu for his removal. The Chief Justice’s letter says that the comments of Mr. Kissi Ageybeng are to help establish a prima facie case or otherwise.
In a letter to Mr. Agyebeng dated Thursday, May 16, the Chief Justice requested his comments to help her ascertain if a prima facie case has been established. “This is to forward to you a copy of the petition dated 30th April 2024 sent to the Office of the President which was forwarded to the Office of the Honourable Lady Chief Justice on 6th May 2024. Kindly provide your comments on the matters raised to enable the Honourable Chief Justice to determine if a prima facie case has been made out.”
Martin Amidu, also a former Attorney-General filed the petition against Kissi Agyebeng on the grounds of procurement breaches in the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and abuses involving judges and the administration of justice.
Other allegations include violations of citizens’ rights through arrests and detentions, violations of the right to information, and improper appointments of personnel to the office. Additionally, Mr. Amidu alleges a violation of the right to information when he requested appointment letters and salary details of all OSP staff to be put on a pen drive for him, which Mr. Agyebeng refused.
By: Laud Nartey
