The Special Prosecutor seems to be in a defiant mood as far as investigations into the conduct of embattled Secretary of the Inter-ministerial taskforce against illegal mining in concerned.
Martin Amidu today swiftly dismissed the investigative report of the Criminal Investigations Department clearing Charles Bissue of any wrongdoing and has indicated he is investigating the matter and considers his actions captured on tape a crime.
Charles Bissue was captured on tape by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Tiger Eye PI collecting monies to facilitate small scale mining by a company ORR Resource Enterprise.
He stepped aside after the expose came to the public domain, to allow for investigations by the Office of Special Prosecutor.
In an interesting twist, several newspapers today carried a story claiming the CID has cleared Charles Bissue of any wrongdoing.
The Daily Graphic quotes the CID report as having concluded ““At the conclusion of investigations, based on the available evidence, none of the suspects was found to be culpable for any offence.”
Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu however says the CID investigations amounts to political interference.
Speaking in an interview with Accra based Citi FM, Martin Amidu said he notified the Police and the Interior minister that his office had instituted a probe into the matter in addition to cautioning the latter against ordering a parallel investigation.
He said his notification was out of the belief that the matter in question which relates to corruption, falls directly under the mandate of his office.
“I’ve told you I wrote to the Director-General, CID, that it wasn’t her jurisdiction. I’ve written to the Minister for the Interior. I’ve copied the Presidency. I wrote to the Chief of Staff to release Bissue, and I asked that” ‘Treat a crime as a crime, I don’t care who is involved’,” he stated.
Martin Amidu said the decision to refer the matter to the CID amounted to not only undermining his office but also betrayal of the President’s rhetoric on the office of the Special Prosecutor.
“The point is, as far as I am concerned, the police have no jurisdiction in the matter, and no minister can refer cases which belong to me to them. The President said he was appointing me so that there won’t be political interference, so, why will a minister bypass me and refer a case to the police?” he queried.
The Special Prosecutor has further served notice that he will investigate the matter and prosecute Charles Bissue.
“My investigators will handle it. When they are by ready, they will give the dockets to us as prosecutors, we’ll assess it and we’ll make a decision. And then I’ll see who will stop me,” he stated.
Story by: Sena Nombo/Radiogoldlive.com
