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An astute criminal lawyer, Major (rtd) Nkrabea Effah Dartey, has stated that the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu will find it very difficult to prosecute any appointee of the erstwhile President John Dramani Mahama administration considered as corrupt.

According to him, there is no evidence for him to accuse any NDC minister and Chief Executive as corrupt as this is the major problem he is facing as Special Prosecutor. 

“ . . I can imagine Martin Amidu, Special Prosecutor, the way we all know him to be the strict, straight-forward, hard, brave and incorruptible person but where is the evidence for him to say that NDC Ministers were corrupt? Or that NDC Chief Executives were corrupt? That’s the problem he is facing but otherwise, I will say that the law in the country is working effectively,” he stated on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show on Thursday.

He added even though many are the expectations of Ghanaians to see the Special Prosecutor chasing after all those who are corrupt in the society, especially in high places, but in matters of criminal prosecution, evidence is key.

“There is a general perception that some of the ministers are corrupt and some of the NDC ministers were very corrupt but where is the evidence? You cannot go out there to say it just like that, that politicians are corrupt. If politicians are corrupt, which one is corrupt? You must have evidence, both documentary, and oral evidence,” he argued.

He reiterated that without evidence, the Special Prosecutor will become a laughing stock in court if he proceeds on the basis of corrupt allegations without substantive evidence.

He, however, pointed out that since crime has no expiry date, no matter how long it takes, once evidence is acquired, every corrupt former appointee of government will surely stand trial. 

“One thing many Ghanaians don’t know is that there is no time barrier for a crime. In other words, if you commit crime or an offense, you can be arrested and tried even long after...the police can arrest you and charge you that when you were a student in 1974, you stole a school textbook...and so if you are a minister, a politician, no matter your status in life, if you are doing something bad, you must be very careful because whatever crime you do in the past, can come back to haunt you.”

“You must not rush; you should give the accused person the opportunity to defend himself or herself so that when the court says you are guilty, then you are guilty...we have law and order and if any country will progress, it depends on law and order...we don’t have any alternative aside the law,” he stated.