General News of Sunday, 1 August 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-08-01Office of Special Prosecutor 'adds nothing' to anti-corruption fight – Ras Mubarak insists
Ras Mubarak is a former MP for Kumbungu
• A former lawmaker says the office of Special Prosecutor is needless
• Ras Mubarak started opposing the establishment of the office in 2015
• He insists the office is a duplication of the function of Attorney General
Former Member of Parliament for Kumbungu,
Read full articletarget='_blank' href='/GhanaHomePage/people/person.php?ID=3034'>Ras Mubarak, has reiterated that the Office of Special Prosecutor remains a needless cost on the tax payer.
Incidentally, it did not take the Parliament’s recent approval of Kissi Agyebeng as Martin Amidu’s successor to trigger Mubarak’s views.
Instead, a Facebook memory of July 2015 in which the ex-lawmaker made a case against the establishment of the office which at the time was a campaign promise of then opposition candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“6 years ago. Only the blind couldn’t read between the lines. Just as I opposed the idea in 2015 and opposed it in parliament when the bill was brought, I still believe the Office of Special Prosecutor has added nothing to our fight against corruption.
“It’s been More bureaucracy. Meanwhile the Attorney General’s department is crying out for help. State attorneys are under resourced, over worked and under paid. Sad, Ghanaians allowed themselves to be hoodwinked into believing In the NPP in 2016,” Mubarak’s post of July 30, 2021 read.
Following the resignation of Amidu last year as pioneer Special Prosecutor, the president through AG Godfred Dame nominated Agyebeng as new SP.
He was vetted by Parliament and unanimously approved by the Appointments Committee following which the plenary also approved him on July 30. A date for his swearing in has yet to be announced.
Ras Mubarak’s 30 July, 2015 post
Just read Akufo Addo's attempt to justify appointing a Special Prosecutor (SP) in a letter to the Chronicle. First of all, at a time public opinion is for small government, reducing the size of govt, he is promising big government by setting up the office of SP.
His argument is even flawed because a Special Prosecutor , SP, will also be appointed by the executive. Invariably he's telling us whoever he will appoint as AG in the unlikely event he becomes president can't live up to expectation to do a good job.
Why won't he appoint whoever he thinks will be a fine SP as AG to save us cost and bureaucracy? As usual, it's just much ado about style, no substance.
