Move to impeach Kissi Agyebeng: Corruption is fighting back again

…Former Auditor General Domelevo

Former Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, has interpreted the ongoing processes to impeach the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, as corruption fighting back at an anti-corruption officer.

In a video interview with Accra based Joy News, Mr. Domelevo said the strangeness of the whole development only makes clear again, how far the forces of corruption would go to fight back.

“You have no idea how corruption fights. Corruption is not going to fight using corrupt methods. It is going to pretend and use what looks like very genuine reasons, and I always say that there is the story behind a story, so the story behind the story is difficult for all of us to know, but what I am just trying to say is that to me, if you are in the public domain fighting people, others may also look for an opportunity to fight you back.”.

Even so, the former AG who himself was forcibly removed from office for pursuing former Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, over the corrupt payment of US$1million to a foreign company, says he is surprised that of all places, the petition that kick-started the impeachment is coming from Kissi Agyebeng’s predecessor, Martin Amidu.

“Where it’s coming from is what surprises me. You know Martin is my very good friend, but we have different values. And I would not participate in any form or shape in the removal of my successor from office. In fact, in his case even I can say that he resigned. I don’t think Kissi Agyebeng played role in it. I suspect the one who succeeded me had a role to play but I will not play any role as such.”

Martin Amidu, triggered the impeachment process with an April 30 petition, in which he claimed that Agyebeng committed procurement breaches in the purchase of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and  and also committed abuses involving judges and the administration of justice.

In addition to these he alleges that the SP violated citizens’ rights through arrests and detentions, violations of the right to information, and improper appointments of personnel to the office.

Mr. Domelevo said the behavior of Amidu serves to fuel speculation that he is jealous of Kissi Agyebeng.

“You know at times, somethings you can do, but you leave it to other people to do it because, like Senanu is alluding to, it looks like because he is outshining him, so he wants to remove him out of office, which to me I will not allow such a situation to arise before people will impute those intentions into my actions,” he said.

The former Auditor General dismissed the xlaim that the SP had committed procurement breaches, saying this particular claim is rather formulaic for corrupt people who want to remove persons they don’t like from office.

“The pattern is that they use the procurement offences only when it suits them. Didn’t we hear about procurement offences by the EC, the current EC and several others, even the presidency itself and how do they treat them? They are treated with kid gloves. It’s only when you are on the other side, you are not liked then they activate the procurement offence against you. I know that nobody is above the aw and everybody is supposed to go according to the law but then the selectiveness, the selectivity in using this procurement law is becoming one too many. Several huge procurement offences are known to all of us and are not being addressed but they pick on individuals who they think they should pick on and they talk about procurement offences. I’m not saying that that justifies the procurement offence if there is any…” he said.