Former president, John Mahama says plans by the Nana Addo administration to appoint a Special Prosecutor is another step in the right direction to fighting corruption.
According to him, the move will come to support the National Anti-corruption action plan (NACAP 2015 – 2024); as a non-partisan document for fighting corruption in the country.
As part of his election 2016 campaign promises, President Akufo-Addo hinted his administration will set up an office of an independent Special Prosecutor to deal with cases in the country.
The New Patriotic Party in the election manifesto said, the office will “be independent of the Executive, to investigate and prosecute certain categories of cases and allegations of corruption and other criminal wrongdoing, including those involving alleged violations of the Public Procurement Act and cases implicating political officeholders and politicians.”
Following his assumption of office, he has reiterated his commitment to set up the office and nominate someone to occupy it.
But former President John Mahama who is currently in Kenya on a visit and interacting with various government and business groups believes the independent prosecutor can only be effective if he or she is truly “independent enough” to deal with all the cases that go through the office including those that involve the current government.
The former President via his Facebook page said, “The new administration in Ghana has decided to introduce an independent prosecutor. That’s another step forward after NACAP and other interventions in the quest to fight corruption. But the independent prosecutor must be independent enough and prosecute cases even if from within this administration.”
Even before the office is set up, the Minority in Parliament has served notice it may challenge the legality of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s proposed Independent Prosecutor’s office.
Speaking to Citi News, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said their challenge could involve going to the Supreme Court.
This followed the Attorney General-nominee, Gloria Akuffo’s assertion that the Independent Prosecutor’s office would be established via an Act of Parliament during her vetting by Parliament.
“The person to hold the office would be nominated by the President and would be acting on behalf of the Attorney General with a focus on public corruption, as a means to restore confidence in the department”, Ms. Akuffo explained to the Appointments Committee of Parliament.
But Mr. Iddrisu said his side of parliament believes the establishment of a special prosecutor’s office required much more than an Act of Parliament.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
