Amidu’s resignation: It’s unthinkable, says Freddie Blay

The National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, has described Martin Amidu’s resignation as Special Prosecutor as “unthinkable and disappointing.”

“It is unthinkable and unacceptable to hear of the resignation of the former Special Prosecutor, whose appointment was greeted with mixed reactions from the Ghanaian populace,” Blay said.

He added: “While some thought Mr Amidu was the perfect person to occupy the position as the first Special Prosecutor, there were contrary sentiments from some members of the Minority in Parliament and the NDC, including some members of the ruling NPP.

“Many described Mr. Amidu as a self-righteous person, with an erratic persona. Others also said his temperament was not cut for such high office, particularly when he had the opportunity to occupy the position of Attorney General and Minister of Justice during the Presidency of the late Prof John Evans Atta Mills. The circumstances leading to his dismissal and his counter allegations levelled against the then President and other allegations that Mr Amidu threatened to beat up the then President Prof John Evans Atta Mills.”

Blay condemned Amidu’s decision in an interview with Taste FM on Friday, 20 November 2020.

He has therefore called on supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to focus on the upcoming elections to keep the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, in power.

“I believe that Mr Amidu’s resignation is politically motivated. This is because on one occasion he decided not to investigate Mr. Mahama on his involvement in the Airbus bribery scandal because of the impending general elections, thus, offering him strange and unconstitutional immunity. However, he found it expedient to resign less than three weeks to the 2020 general elections,” Blay observed.

Amidu resigned as the Special Prosecutor after close to two years in office.

Political interference

In a letter to President Akufo-Addo, he suggested that the president has not been able to ensure his independence and freedom of action.

He said, “My position as the Special Prosecutor has consequently become clearly untenable.”

Amidu said his decision is to enable his appointing authority “to take steps to appoint a replacement to that position as required by law.”

“This is to inform the public that I resigned from my position as the Special Prosecutor of the Office of the Special Prosecutor with immediate effect upon the submission of my letter of resignation with reference number OSP/2/AM/14 dated 16 November 2020 which was received at the Office of the President at 15:15 HRS this afternoon,” he said in his letter to the president.

“The one condition upon which I accepted to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor when you invited me to your Office on 10 January 2018 was your firm promise to me that you will respect and ensure same by your Government for my independence and freedom of action as the Special Prosecutor,” the letter said.

Amidu, a former attorney general in the National Democratic Congress [NDC] administration, was named as the Special Prosecutor in January 2018.

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