Co-Chair of the Citizens Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu, has urged the public not to blame the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, for arresting Professor Frimpong-Boateng.
The former chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) was arrested as part of the ongoing investigations into allegations of illegal mining.
According to Mr Senanu, the Special Prosecutor is only performing his assigned duty by the state to ensure that corrupt people in the country are sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to others.
“I don’t think the OSP has done anything wrong. All of us, at any point, if we are called there, should expect the same kind of treatment,” he stated.
His statement was in relation to a comment made by the Special Prosecutor in an interview, saying he treats no one as a saint.
“From my angle, I treat no one as a saint. In the estimation of my office, there are no saints. In the estimation of the office, there are no heroes. If I approach this job of fighting corruption that there are some persons in the society who have attained the status of sainthood, we will lose the fight against corruption,” he said.
Mr. Senanu said he anticipated such a response from Kissi Agyebeng and that if one wants to follow due process, he must ensure that everybody is equal before the law and that some people of special interest have gone through the same process.
“I think that Mr. Kissi Agyebeng is trying to do his job as professionally as he ought to, and nobody should begrudge him on that. I am glad he has spoken quickly. It means he has put his thumbs on the pulse of the citizens and therefore knows that many people were not too happy because of how we view Professor Frimpong Boateng,” Senanu opined.
He went on to explain that perhaps Prof Frimpong-Boateng was not adequately briefed on what things might be at the OSP, so it was a lot more traumatizing for him. He alluded that he saw the event as legitimate but felt victimized.
“I think that even though Mr. Kissi Agyebeng has made his point, he probably has to think through the process again to the extent that a way that people who are invited to the OSP will have a little more insight as to what to expect,” he admonished.
According to him, the development is a good learning exercise for all. Hence a copy of the CHRAJ report must be made available to help stakeholders ascertain the scope of the investigation that was made on the matter.
He applauded Professor Frimpong Boateng for putting the report together but was not pleased for leaking the confidential report to the general public.