Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has encouraged the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, not to be disheartened by the challenges he has faced in carrying out his duties.
Mr Kpebu acknowledged the frustrations apparent in the difficulties encountered by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in various legal rulings related to its prosecutions.
Speaking in an interview with Citi FM on Wednesday, November 29, Kpebu called on Ghanaians to rally behind the Special Prosecutor, providing the necessary support to prevent him from considering resignation.
Kpebu expressed his reluctance to entertain the idea of resignation, citing the previous resignation of Mr Martin Amidu, the former Special Prosecutor, as an event he finds difficult to forget.
He urged Mr Agyebeng not to follow suit and applauded him for the strides made in the fight against corruption, highlighting that even in instances of legal setbacks, Mr Agyebeng has achieved success in the court of public opinion by exposing and condemning corrupt practices.
“No, we can’t think about a resignation. That is one thing I still find difficult to forgive Mr Martin Amidu, former, Special Prosecutor. He brought a huge stature to the office and that alone was good. When he resigned it was an anti-climax, but I still find it difficult to let go. I don’t think Mr Kissi Agyebeng should do that,” Kpebu said.
“I think overall, he made progress, see how he has named and shamed people. Even if he loses in court, he shouldn’t forget that in the court of public opinion, we have finished the cases.”
On Wednesday, November 29, the Special Prosecutor addressed journalists, expressing serious apprehensions about the growing pattern of dismissive rulings in corruption cases.
He cautioned that such a trend could have severe consequences for the country’s anti-corruption endeavours.
Mr. Agyebeng pointed to four specific cases that illustrate this worrisome trend. Among them was the acquittal of Cecilia Dapaah, a former government official, in a corruption case.
Additionally, he highlighted the court’s refusal to issue an order freezing the estate of former NPP General Secretary, Kojo Owusu Afriyie, despite mounting corruption allegations against his estate.