Martin Alamisi Amidu is Special Prosecutor – Prez Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo has announced Mr. Martin Alamisi Amidu as the first Special Prosecutor. In a groundbreaking announcement set to shock many political watchers, the President extolled Martin Amidu, a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress’s virtues, saying he has no doubt his nominee is very qualified and able to do the job, pending the approval of Parliament.
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The President announced from the Flagstaff House Thursday evening that the Attorney General, Madam Gloria Akuffo, made the nomination, and he wholeheartedly approves of the nomination.
The pledge to fight corruption
The Special Prosecutor, once confirmed by Parliament, will carry an extraordinary responsibility independently and impartially to fight corruption.
“The Special Prosecutor, as the Act says in its preamble, ‘shall have full authority and control over the investigation, initiation and conduct of proceedings of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption involving public officers and politically exposed persons in the performance of their functions as well as persons in the private sector involved in the commission of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption related offences.’”
“The remit of the office as you can see, is broad and is challenging. The Attorney General, has by a letter dated Thursday 11th January, 2018 of today’s date addressed to me, exercises the power of nominartion and submitted to me for my acceptance, the name of the proposed Special Prosecutor.
“I’ve accepted the Attorney General’s nomination and will in turn submit for Parliament’s approval when it reconvenes on the 23rd of January, 2018, for its first meeting of this New Year, the name of Martin Alamisi Burns Kaisar Amidu, to be the first Special Prosecutor under the law.”
“I have done so because I am fully convinced, with Martin Amidu, a prominent legal personality, who held the high office of Attorney General of the Republic, in the government of the late President Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, has the requisite integrity, competence, courage, independence of character to discharge effectively, the responsibilities of this key office.”
Listen to President AKufo-Addo
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The Man Martin Amidu
Amidu served as the Deputy Attorney-General for about the last four years of the Provisional National Defence Council military government. After civilian rule was established in the Fourth Republic in January 1993, he continued to serve in the government of Jerry Rawlings as Deputy Attorney-General. This he did for both terms lasting eight years until January 2001.
In the December 2000 presidential elections, he stood as the running mate of John Atta Mills. They lost the race to President John Kufuor.
Minister for Interior
In January 2010, following a cabinet reshuffle, then President Mills replaced Cletus Avoka with Amidu as the Minister for Interior. He was successfully approved by Parliament.
Attorney General
Following the second major cabinet reshuffle by President Mills, Amidu became the Attorney general and Minister for Justice of Ghana. He was howwever relieved of his post on Thursday January 19, 2012 by President Atta Mills for what was described by party as 'his misconduct' at a meeting chaired by the president at the Osu Castle on January 18, 2012.
