The government has finally provided a bigger work-space for the Office of the Special Prosecutor, although it is not ready for use.
The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has complained that since assuming office in February 2018, he is unable to effectively deliver on his mandate because his office is under-resourced.
The two-storey building which appears ready for renovation works, is close to the International Press Center on the Gamel Abdul Nasser Avenue at Ridge.
One of the floors of the building has seven rooms, a conference room, and stores, while the second floor has nine rooms.
A tour of the building by Citi News showed broken windows and parts of the compound overgrown with weeds. There were cobwebs everywhere and the floors were covered in dust.
It was evident that the building does need a makeover before Mr. Amidu and his team can move. Engineers from the Architecture And Engineering Services Limited (AESL) who were on site said it will take six months to complete rehabilitation works.
According to sources, rehabilitation works will be done subject to budget approval by Parliament in due course.
The office building, which looks like an abandoned structure, was found through a search by Mr. Amidu himself who then notified government. Mr. Amidu would have to therefore give a final approval for its usage after he receives a report from AESL.
Despite this, there are concerns that the office building when fully ready for use, may not be able to accommodate the about 230 staff expected to work for the office.
President Nana Akufo-Addo swore in Martin Amidu as Ghana’s first Special Prosecutor.
Since he was sworn in, he has complained about the lack of a proper office space, logistics and human resource to do his work.
In his most recent complaint, Mr. Amidu also spoke about the lack of a Legislative Instrument to make his work legitimate.
Mr. Amidu’s nomination for the position received overwhelming support from the public with many citing his integrity as the most important attribute.
Mr. Amidu, nicknamed the ‘Citizen Vigilante’ for his no-nonsense approach to corruption was nominated by President Akufo-Addo on January 11, 2018, after an emergency cabinet meeting at the Flagstaff House.
If the office is to be fully completed for use in six months, it would mean that the Office can only be fully functional in the first quarter of 2019.
This certainly must be a bother for Mr. Martin Amidu, who has already warned that he does not want to be accused of political witch-hunting when he starts prosecuting cases prior to an election year in 2020.
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By: Farida Yusif/citinewsroom.com/Ghana