Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Martin Amidu, has revealed he rejected an offer to serve as a Supreme Court judge in1999.
He said he was persuaded by a number of people including Supreme Court judge, Justice William Atuguba, to accept the offer but he proved unyielding, saying “…but I will not change my mind”.
Mr. Amidu made the revelation when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament Tuesday to be vetted as the president’s nominee for the position of the Special Prosecutor (SP).
He said he accepted the nomination to become the SP not because of the status that comes with the position but due to the ideals attached to it which will enable him fight corruption in the country, something he said has been the basis for instability in the country for time past.
“This is to demonstrate that my acceptance of position of Special Prosecutor is not because of the status, but because of the high ideals attached to making sure the ordinary people of this country can have the benefit of the resources of this country by stopping the leakages and seepages that have gone on since the coming to force of the 1992 constitution,” he explained.
He added: “It is important that this country is stabilized; it is important that no one makes excuses to make a coup. The only way to do that is to protect the national purse and give people who want to use that as an excuse not to have the grounds,” he said in his introduction to the Committee.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 11, 2018 announced Mr. Amidu as his nominee for the office of the special prosecutor. His nomination came less than 10 days after the president assented to the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill, together with four other bills.
In the President’s view, Mr. Amidu has “the requisite integrity, competence, courage and independence of character to discharge effectively the responsibilities of this new office”.
The former Attorney General and Minister of Justice who was the vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress in the 2000 general elections, has been at the forefront of exposing and fighting corruption in the country.
His zeal in anti- corruption earned him the title citizen vigilante.
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