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Office of the Special Prosecutor under Martin Amidu used GH¢129m of GH¢322m allocated

The former Special Prosecutor, <a href="https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/martin-amidus-reasons-not-enough-to-resign-as-the-special-prosecutor-emile-short/k1mwk78">Martin Amidu</a>, from 2018 until his resignation on Monday, November 16, 2020, spent a total of GH¢129,016,189.52 out of the GH¢322,097,921.40 allocated to the office.
Martin Amidu with Nana Addo and Cynthia Lamptey
Martin Amidu with Nana Addo and Cynthia Lamptey

A report from the Ministry of Finance stated that "The Office of the Special Prosecutor’s approved ceiling of GH¢180.16 million for the year 2019 increased significantly as compared to the revised allocation of GH¢138.14 million given for the year 2020."

It said the year 2018 "recorded the lowest allocation of GH¢3.79 million and this could be attributed to the fact that the Office had now been established and their allocation formed part of the 2018 budget of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Office."

The Ministry noted that the "amounts of GH¢154,261.84 and GH¢65,690,067.55 were released as of the end of the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years.

Also, an amount of GH¢63,171,860.13 has been released as of November 16, 2020.

The Ministry said "one major challenge identified during the implementation of their budgets in the period under review is their inability to initiate transactions on the GIFMIS platform to facilitate the release of funds."

This comes after Martin Amidu resigned from his office with immediate effect over interference in his work by the NPP-led government by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He stated that the President of the Republic was interfering in the performance of his duties in relation to the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the controversial Agyapa Royalties Transaction.

He alleged that the President attempted to convince him to include a response from the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta in his report which he declined because "that would have compromised my independence as the Special Prosecutor."

He has also returned all sitting allowances paid to him since he took the office in 2018.

Amidu directed his accountant to return the monies, amounting to GH¢12,696.

On December 21, 2020, he was presented with a cheque of GH¢5,560 as of August to December 2018 board allowances.

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