Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, has reiterated that Dominic Ayine’s suit challenging his nomination as Special Prosecutor was influenced by fear within the opposition National Democratic Congress that he would be prosecuting their members found to be corrupt.
He reiterated his belief that some officials of the NDC in a bid to cover up their shady deals filed the suit in the name of the former Deputy Attorney General.
[contextly_sidebar id=”7ZNwmVAgJ3nLUU7oYAGvwQ1VCuTjHll4″]“In my statement of second defendants’ case, I had said that this case against me is arising purely from fear and panic. The NDC, particularly, their former President John Mahama, and his cohorts fear I might look into the massive corruption that pervaded their government …The NDC thinks that by getting me out of it, even if they did something, nobody will investigate them, but I am not here to investigate parties.”
Mr. Amidu made this statement after the Supreme Court had dismissed an application by Mr. Ayine, seeking to file additional arguments to the case in which he is challenging the eligibility of Martin Amidu, for the position of Special Prosecutor.
Dr. Ayine in his lawsuit contends that Mr. Amidu, at 66 years of age, is too old to hold the public office, under which the Special Prosecutor’s position falls.
He argued in his writ that, “any other interpretation would result in an unlawful amendment of Article 199 of the Constitution by legislation.”
‘I’m not moved by suit’
But the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, said he is going on with his work despite the suit.
“I have nothing to lose..As Citizen Vigilante, I was more lethal than now. I have been gagged for sometime. If the court decides that Mr. Amidu you step aside, fair enough. If it decides go ahead, I will go ahead,” he said.
Dr. Ayine is seeking a declaration that “by a true and proper interpretation of Articles 190(1)(d), 199(1), 199(4), and 295 of the 1992 Constitution, the retirement age of all holders of public office created pursuant to Article(1)(d) is sixty years, anyhow not beyond (65).”
Using the same sections of the constitution, he held that “no person above the age of 65 years is eligible for employment in any public office created under Article 190(1)(d).”
Dr. Ayine is thus seeking a declaration from the Supreme Court that Mr. Amidu, “is not qualified or eligible to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor under Section 13(3) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2018 (Act 959).”
Amidu objects to Ayine’s application
Martin Amidu had earlier opposed a claim by the Bolga East MP, Dr. Ayine, to file the supplementary statement to the original case.
In that fresh application to the Supreme Court dated March 23, 2018, Dr. Ayine requested to make available some aspects of the parliamentary debate that preceded the passing of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, with a view of assisting the court in its determination of the case.
But in response to the application, Mr. Amidu argued that the rules of procedure at the Supreme Court do not allow Dr. Ayine and his lawyers to file such a claim.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana