Serious charges of corruption, bribery, and nepotism have been leveled against Kissi Agyebeng, the Special Prosecutor, by former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu.
In November 2020, Amidu tendered his resignation from the office and published a 15-page letter outlining his accusations.
He alleges to have learned through media reports and informants that Agyebeng and his cronies were soliciting and accepting bribes from suspects that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) was looking into. Some of these suspects, according to Amidu, were either Agyebeng or his staff members’ acquaintances, family, or previous clients. He further claimed that some cases were hidden or postponed because of these ties.
Amidu also raised concerns over the OSP’s purchase of more than fifty vehicles, some of which were reportedly involved in an incident on the Tema Motorway. He said that no public notification of any contribution or grant for these vehicles had been made at the time of acquisition, and the OSP did not have an operational procurement body. This sparked concerns about possible legal infractions related to procurement and the Public Procurement Authority’s (PPA) clearance.
Furthermore, Amidu charged Agyebeng with obtaining a fleet of automobiles, including trucks, from a car rental business owned by his friend or connected to his friend, who works for OSP, without following the procedures of a competitive bidding process or receiving PPA clearance.
Additionally, he stated that Agyebeng did not give other department heads the same opportunity to rent or buy a Prado four-wheel drive for the OSP Chief Accountant, who is a signatory to the OSP finances.
Amidu further claimed that Agyebeng often used public funds to travel overseas without informing the public or his deputy. He asserted that on some of these occasions, Agyebeng was escorted by his pals at their own expense and even traveled with orderlies who had no security duties to fulfill. Amidu brought up these concerns in response to Agyebeng’s request for public assistance with the OSP’s operations.
To preserve the independence and integrity of the OSP, he underlined the significance of accountability and openness. In order to address the accusations and offer clarification on these issues, Amidu requested a media briefing.
