Appointments Committee recommends Kissi Agyebeng for Special Prosecutor
The former Special Prosecutor, Mr. Amidu had cited interferences from the Presidency in his resignation letter, claiming that his office was not allowed to pursue its mandate in the way it had been promised
Parliament’s Appointments Committee has unanimously recommended Kissi Agyebeng for approval as Special Prosecutor after his vetting on Thursday, July 22, 2021.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Joseph Osei Wusu said the Committee will consequently “put [their] recommendation for the House to determine whether to approve or disapprove of [the] recommendation.”
Following a subsequent deliberation by Parliament on the report of the committee, Kissi Agyebeng will be confirmed as the second Special Prosecutor of the Republic, taking over from Mr. Martin Amidu.
The nominee told the Committee on Thursday that he intends to be his own man and will not attempt to take after another’s shoes, adding that he intends to bring his own experiences to board on the new job.
“I will not wear anybody’s shoes, I will wear my own shoes. I will be my own man with my own principles and standards.“In this quest, my conscience and my learning of the law are going to be my guard,” he noted.
He also denied accusations from the former Special Prosecutor, who had intimated that the nominee was a surrogate of the law firm that was behind the botched Agyapa deal. Kissi suggested instead, that such accusations were borne from an “uninformed position.”
“Whoever says I am a surrogate of a law firm or implicates me in the Agyapa transaction clearly does not know me. Because, if you know me you will not make such allegations.
“I was not involved in the deal and I was nowhere near it and indeed until it started coming out, I did not know what it was. For the record that is the truth.”
Meanwhile, he has pledged to fight corruption, noting that even though he cannot stop it due to the complexity and secrecy of the crime, he would ensure that it is a costly enterprise for anyone who intends to partake in it. Mr. Agyebeng indicated that if a person’s wealth was not commensurate with his or her lawful income, that person ought to be questioned, but not without recourse to the fact that the person may have extra occupations fetching money. He mentioned however, that if such inquisitions do not produce any meaningful explanation for the source of wealth, his office would investigate and ensure that any traces of corruption are eliminated.
Additionally, the nominee told the committee of his intents to ensure the independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, increase public confidence and propose bills such as the Corrupt Practices Act which would effectively wean the OSP from the Attorney-General’s department and other governmental agencies mandated to fight corruption and related crimes.
President’s Support
Mr. Kissi Agyebeng assured the Committee that he has the President’s support in a way that entrenches his confidence that he would not suffer interferences from the Office of the President.
The former Special Prosecutor, Mr. Amidu had cited interferences from the Presidency in his resignation letter, claiming that his office was not allowed to pursue its mandate in the way it had been promised.
However, Mr. Agyebeng has expressed confidence that the scenario will be different in his time, intimating that “the President has assured me of his full support and that is why I am sitting here. I will count on the President’s full support.”
