19th January, 2012

We the members of the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF) are appalled by the lack of sense of Judgement on the Part of the President and his decision to dismiss Hon Martin Amidu, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. Mr Amidu was the only man of integrity left in the government with a sense of duty to the Republic of Ghana.

It has come to our notice that the President’s dismissal of Mr Amidu was to save his own skin, as a successful prosecution of the matter would have implicated the President in the scheme to deprive this country of such gargantuan sums of money. Information reaching us indicates President Mills chaired a cabinet meeting with 20 people in attendance in 2010, at which he authorised the payment of the money to Woyome.

Mr Martin Amidu’s insistence to prosecute the Woyome saga and to retrieve the money to the state is borne out of his sense of duty, his integrity and the fact that his conscience will not allow him to conceal such crime and an amount which could have successfully implemented SADA for the three Northern regions, the most impoverished parts of this country, and an area he hails from.
Notice is hereby served to all members of the PNF nationwide to prepare themselves for a massive demonstration in Tamale, against the President’s concealment of crime and corruption in his government, and his attempt to use Mr Amidu as a scape-goat. We are also appealing to all well meaning Ghanaians to get themselves in readiness to ensure that the moral conscience of this country, intergrity, probity and accountability are restored into our polity.
ULTIMATUM
The President is hereby given 21 working days to reinstate Mr Martin Amidu to catch the criminals within the government or we the members of the PNF will lobby for impeachment proceedings to be instituted against him in accordance with articles 69 and 58 of the constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

We shall also demonstrate massively against the President in Tamale if the President fails to rescind his decision.
God bless our homeland Ghana.
SIGNED
RICHARD NYAMAH- 0246-833-616
FRED AMANKWAH SARFO- 0544-331-324
HOPSON ADORYE- 0201-433-925
APPIAH NTI -0249-153-909
PATIENCE DORDUNU- 0200-647-806

* Source: The Informer

As It Open Up NPP’s Double-Standards

Investigative Desk Report

Contrary to media reports and rather infantile annotations from some New Patriotic Party (NPP) political commentators seeking to create the impression as if Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, has done the unthinkable by ensuring as then Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, that Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome was fairly treated as a citizen of Ghana, as regards the judgment debt paid him, credible investigations conduct by The Informer reveals otherwise.

According to this paper’s in-depth search into judgment debt paid the Rockshell Company, even though it is true that the genesis of this matter was in the 1980s, precisely under the Jerry John Rawlings’ regime, plausible information gathered indicates that Mr. Joe Ghartey, who was the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice at the time, preceding events which led to the State paying huge sums of money to the aforementioned company, refuses to go to court because, the owner is a member of the his party, the NPP.

Knowing what his intents are, Mr. Joe Ghartey per The Informer’s investigations, filed nothing in court to oppose the action of Rockshell when they applied to take summary judgment in court.

The result was that, instead of taking judgment on a figure before calculating interest, Rockshell calculated compound interest on the figure claimed, took judgment on that and then got the court to award further interest on the resultant figure.

Even though, the summary judgment was obtained in 2007, the NPP never paid a pesewa, only for the President Mills administration to be confronted with a debt of US$87Million.

According to this paper’s exploration into the matter, it came to light that Rockshell which went to court with a claim of Five Hundred Thousand Dollars and was awarded 1million Dollars as a result of the court ruling, subsequently got a bonanza of US$87million because, Joe Ghartey failed to act and the NPP equally refused to pay the judgment debt of 1million dollars awarded in 2007.

With some difficult negotiation, however, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, who became the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice thereafter, managed to reduce the figure to US$35, 000,000, which government is paying over a period of time.
One could recall how Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu managed through similar negotiations to prevail on Consul Alfred Agbesi Woyome and his solicitors, to have their figure reduced and as a result not paying what she should be paying. That is why those of us at The Informer cannot understand the hypocrisy on the part of Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, aka Lawrence Addae and his group.

If the former Attorney-General, through negotiations succeeded to get Rockshell to accept the amount that government is currently paying, what is her crime in doing same in the case of Mr. Alfred Woyome?

The Informer is, therefore, calling on Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and his team of seemingly ignoramuses, not to mislead the people of this country; because, all judgment debts that the present administration is confronted with were as result of their actions and inactions.

From the Joe Ghartey’s exposure, it will be better for the NPP people to shut up and save themselves from further embarrassment, or else get humiliated.

* Source: Citifmonline

The members and executives of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) have dissolved their party and defected to Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom’s Progressive People’s Party (PPP).

According to them, after the death of the founder, Dan Lartey, there has been lots of conflicts between the executives and members of the party. They said whoever is interested in the GCPP can go for it.

The party said the son of the late founder, Henry Lartey, added to their problems by asking to be made chairman and leader of the party.

The party’s General Secretary, Alhassan Saeed, in an interview with Citi News indicated that “the Electoral Commissioner said he would not recognise Mr. Dan Lartey’s son as the chairman because it’s unconstitutional and because of the conflicts we decided that once we’ve lost our leader and we don’t have enough resources to move around and mobilize the party, then let’s do something else. ”

He said: “The first vice chairman gave a suggestion that why not aligned ourselves with a different political party because we cannot move, then he suggested that we go with the Progressive People’s Party (PPP). ”

“Then we put it in a vote and two-thirds of the membership agreed. Whoever is interested in the GCPP can come in and take it all, we are no more members of Great Consolidated Popular Party,” Saeed added.

* Source: Citifmonline

The Director of Communication at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, has said Martin Amidu would not have been fired as Attorney General if he had taken advantage of the enough room the President, John Evans Atta Mills, gave him to substantiate allegations he made against colleague ministers.

Mr. Amidu was sacked on Thursday for what the Chief of Staff’s statement termed, “misconduct at a meeting last Friday, January 13 2012 presided over by His Excellency the President. ”

“Mr. Amidu’s behavior is incompatible with acceptable standards expected of Ministers and Appointees of the President,” the statement said.

Anti-corruption campaigners and some opposition stalwarts have kicked against the dismissal and contend the President’s move undermines his resolve to fight corruption.

But Mr. Anyidoho has justified his boss’ decision saying every opportunity was created for the embattled ex-minister to exonerate himself.

“The President did not act out of anger,” Mr. Anyidoho told Radio Gold on Friday. “The President asked him to give us specifics and if he was able to then we’ll follow the lead. ”

“You can’t just throw a wild allegation out there. . the President gave him sometime and after a while no answer. The President had no option and nobody undermines the authority of the leader and gets away. Let nobody take him for granted,” he said.

* Source: Citifmonline

The Minority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed shock at the President’s decision to dismiss his chief legal advisor Martin Amidu, saying the dismissal undermines the nation’s attempts to eliminate corruption.

But the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) sees nothing wrong with that saying the President has the prerogative to hire and fire at anytime.

According to the NPP Member of Parliament for Suame, the President’s action raises questions about the national crusade against corruption.

President John Evans Atta Mills fired his Attorney General and Minister for Justice on Thursday for what he described as “Mr. Amidu’s misconduct at a meeting last Friday”.

Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, however, maintained that the President’s decision, though vaguely explained, clearly demonstrates a wavering commitment to the fight against corruption.

“What the President has done inflicts a mortal wound on Ghana’s efforts to investigate unpunished corruption,” he said.

The minority leader added that the reason given for the AG’s dismissal is questionable and must be explained properly.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Bar Association has stated that President Mills cannot be faulted in anyway for terminating the appointment of Hon Amidu.

According to the GBA, by the provisions of the constitution, the President reserves the right to fire any member of his government with or without convincing reasons.

Speaking to Citi News, the spokesperson of the lawyers’ association, Tony Forson said the prerogative to hire and fire lies solely with the president.

“If the President’s view is that the minister was rude to him and wants to fire, then the President is well within his right to go ahead and terminate his appointment,” he said.

* Source: Joyonline

A high court in Kumasi has annulled an agreement between the Agogo Traditional Council and football administrator and cattle owner Alhaji Grunsah, which allows his cattle herded by Fulanis, to graze in the area.

The Agogo Residents Association, which has been protesting the presence of the nomads in the area, took the matter to court last year.

They accuse the nomads of destroying crops and raping women in the area.

In court Friday the judge terminated the agreement between the Agogo Traditional Council and the Fulani herdsmen, signed in 2006.

Luv FM’s Kwabena Ampratwum, who was in court told Joy News’ Israel Laryea the area in question was a forest reserve which could only be released for any purpose by the Forestry Commission and not the Agogo Traditional Council.

Alhaji Gurunsah, Mr Ampratwun, said, was not in court.

*Source: NEW CRUSADING GUIDE

A bird within the corridors of National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) at the ‘Blue House’ (Castle Annex) has whispered into our ears that the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) has completed its re-investigations into the substitution of twelve (12) cocaine slabs with twelve (12) corn dough slabs and the theft of Box No.46 containing thirty (30) slabs of cocaine which occurred at the Police CID Headquarters on January 28, 2008.

The Report, this paper gathered, is being fine tuned and will soon be submitted to President J.E.A. Mills who announced the re-investigations during his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, February 17, 2011.

“In the wake of recent startling revelations about the unacceptable extent to which Ghana was used as a major link in the drug trade; I have decided that a full scale investigation into the disappearance of cocaine from the Police Vault as well as the 77 parcels of cocaine which entered Ghana’s territorial waters aboard the MV Benjamin vessel and mysteriously got missing should be reopened”, articulated the President.

While acknowledging that administrative enquiries were conducted into both cases in the past, the President said “the twist however is that the missing cocaine was not found and the culprits were not identified”.

“With a Presidential Commission of Enquiry, we hope to be able to do both. We will not relent in our fight against the narcotics trade and I believe that the majority of Ghanaians are happy not to be waking up to daily stories of cocaine here, cocaine there, cocaine everywhere. We will continue to make Ghana an unattractive destination for the narcotics trade and will collaborate fully with cross-border and other foreign operatives to flush out the drug barons and their couriers”, emphasised the President amidst prolonged applause from members of the Majority in Parliament.

Our Castle Annex source (the whispering bird) explained that the idea of using a Presidential Commission of Enquiry as initially projected by the President as the vehicle to re-open investigations, was abandoned and instead the BNI asked to take charge of the re-investigations.

Earlier on, the Police which began the process of re-opening, indicated that for the avoidance of perceived conflict of interest challenges, an ‘independent agency’ like the BNI should be the preferred vehicle to conduct the re-investigations.

Our source was however not ready to divulge the contents; the findings and recommendations of the BNI Report to our roving scouts, contending that the President, upon receipt of the Report, will cause its contents to be made public as was recently done with the Interim BNI Report on the cocaine turned washing soda investigations.

The substitution of 12 slabs of cocaine with 12 slabs of corn dough and the theft of one whole box (No. 46) containing 30 slabs of cocaine from the Exhibits Room at the 6th floor of the Police CID Headquarters, in January 2008 were subjected to an investigation by the Kojo Armah Committee instituted by the then Minister of Interior, Mr. Kwamena Bartels.

The substitution of the 12 slabs of cocaine with 12 slabs of corn dough and the theft of one box of 30 slabs of cocaine was detected on January 28, 2008 after the re-testing of the whole consignment of the Prampram cocaine haul by the Ghana Standards Board. The re-testing was done upon the request of Mr. Frank Adu-Poku, who had then been appointed the new Head of the CID. The Ghana Standards Board had earlier conducted tests on the Prampram consignment of sixty-seven (67) sacks of cocaine between the 10th of July and 8th October, 2006. They (67 sacks) had all proved to be cocaine. The sixty-seven (67) sacks were therefore re-packaged into sixty-seven cardboard cartons and stored in the Exhibits Room.

The Kojo Armah Committee was set up on February 1, 2008 with its terms of reference being: “find out the extent of the substitution; find out who and who were involved; recommend next actions and recommend steps to ensure we avoid repetition”.

The Kojo Armah Committee commenced sitting on 5th February, 2008 and submitted its report on 24th April, 2008 to the Minister of Interior. The Committee interviewed 44 witnesses including the following: Mr. Patrick Acheampong, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), DCOP David Asante-Appeatu, former Director-General, CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku, former Director-General, CID, C/Supt. Adu Amankwah, Ex-Head, Organised Crime Unit, DSP Patrick Akagbo, Ex-Head, Violent Crimes Unit, and C/Insp. Paul Brenya Bediako, Investigator.

The Kojo Armah Committee concluded in Chapter 9 of its report that it was unable to find anyone directly liable for the substitution of the twelve (12) cocaine slabs and the theft of Box No.46 containing thirty (30) slabs of cocaine.

However, it (Kojo Armah Committee) was able to identify the following combinations and methods which could have assisted and/or facilitated the theft of the cocaine from the Exhibits Room of the Police namely: “1: Use of the keys (to the Exhibits Room); 2: Use of the apron at the back of the Exhibit store; 3: By the Workers engaged to fix reinforcement (of the Exhibits Room); 4: At the time the Venezuelan cocaine was being carted out for destruction (from the Exhibits Room); 5: The possible taking advantage of frequent electricity outages of the time; and 6: The possible tampering with the CCTV facility”.

The Kojo Armah Committee was also able to identify and expose serious lapses within the hierarchy of the Police Service in the handling of the investigations by the Organised Crime Unit, which tended to seriously undermine the successful investigation of that case, and which it (Kojo Armah Committee) noted, if not promptly corrected, might affect any future investigations of similar or other serious cases.

The Kojo Armah Committee recommended that a Service Enquiry be instituted into the conduct of some identified Police Personnel and also a proper criminal investigation should continue of DSP Akagbo and all other persons mentioned in the Report.

In reaction to the Kojo Armah Committee’s Report, the Police Administration also instituted an internal enquiry on May 7, 2008, chaired by Mr. P.N. Cobbina (COP Rtd) and having as members, COP/Mrs. Joana Osei-Poku and ACP Mr. D.J. Avorgah.

The Police Internal Enquiry known as the Cobbina Committee was tasked to examine pages 84-87 of the Panel’s Report (Kojo Armah Committee’s Report); to conduct further investigations into the allegations contained in the report; to evaluate the comments emanating from the final report; to advise the Police Administration on the recommendations by the Panel and any other evidence which the Committee may discover. The Cobbina Committee submitted its report to the IGP on 26th May, 2008.

In addition to the Cobbina Report, a Memo No.SO/G.4/33A/V.4/ dated 21st May, 2008, emanating from the Headquarters Management and Advisory Board (HEMAB) of the Ghana Police Headquarters, also submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, made a commentary on the Kojo Armah Committee’s findings and recommendations.

Subsequent to these two reactions from within the Police relative to the Kojo Armah Committee’s Report, President Kufuor by a letter dated June 4, 2008, appointed a Presidential Review Committee comprising; Charles Bartels Kwesi Zwennes, Barrister at Law, Chairman, Mrs. Elizabeth Justice Villars, Industrialist, Member and past President, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and Ernest Owusu-Poku, former Inspector-General of Police, Member. The Secretary to the Committee was Afia Adueni Adueni, Assistant State Attorney.

The terms of the Presidential Review Committee were as follows: “to review the Kojo Armah Committee Report; to review the reaction of the Ghana Police Service to the Report and to consider any other relevant or related matter”.

The Presidential Review Committee was given two weeks to submit its Report to the President. It had its preliminary deliberation on Friday 13th June, 2008 at the Conference Room of the Old State House, Accra.

The Presidential Review Committee submitted its Report to the President on June 26, 2008. Its Report largely agreed with the findings and recommendations of the Kojo Armah Committee.

Stay tuned for the publication of a summary of the findings and recommendations of the Kojo Armah Committee and the Presidential Review Committee in subsequent editions of The New Crusading GUIDE.

Martin Amidu’s ‘Dirty’ Tricks Backfired

* Source: The Informer

As He Tries To Hold On To Post, But President Says ‘Lie-lie’

Investigative Desk Report

There is more to it than the eye could see, as credible investigations conducted by The Informer expose the dismissed Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Martin Amidu.

The beleaguered Attorney-General’s rather weird attempt to stay in office and continue causing disaffection for the President Mills-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government resulting from gross incompetence has backfired.
With the erroneous impression created by a section of the NPP media and their political rabble-rousers since it came to fore yesterday that His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills has relieved Mr. Martin Amidu of his post as government’s chief legal adviser, suggesting that his dismissal was as a result of the latter’s indication in his press statement to expose some colleague Ministers of State in the Mills government for having committed massive crime, intelligence picked up by this paper reveals otherwise.
According to The Informer’s Osu Castle sources, Mr. Martin Amidu was fully aware that he was going to be released of his post if the reshuffle had come because of his sickening ineptitude ever since he took over from Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu.
“My brother, Martin Amidu knew what he was about when he issued that press statement having picked the signal that he was virtually becoming liability to government than asset, and so, will be booted out of office in the next cabinet reshuffle; and for people to think that the decision by the President was because he gave the indication of exposing appointees of government as he has made Ghanaians believe, is completely behind the point”.
“In fact, the decision to relieve him was taken way back when it became obvious that he was not up to the task but sleeping on the job. So for the opposition NPP to think that his dismissal was based on his recently issued press statement, is unfortunate”, the source pointed out.
”He did what he did to court public sympathy for himself, sensing the danger that he was on his way out of government, and so, if he decides to quicken the pace of his dismissal by disrespecting the President, so be it”, the source added.
“Martin Amidu can become the darling boy of the NPP if they think that his press release will enable them to come back to power, but the truth is that, in addition to his gross ineffectiveness, he disrespected his employer and so got fired”, the source indicated, saying no amount of vile propaganda on the part of the opposition NPP, using the claims by Martin Amidu as captured in his press release will affect the electoral fortunes of the President and for that matter the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
However, further intelligence information picked up by The Informer has it that, Mr. Martin Amidu could not substantiate the allegations made in his press statement when he was called to the Presidency, making it obvious that his statement was only a prank to help him stay in office, in the wake of his gross incompetence.
The Informer salutes the President for his decision, and will forever respect and support him in his agenda of making Ghana a better place.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Informer on the dismissal of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Martin Amidu reveal that the Ghanaian public is in support of the President’s decision on the issue.

The Informer for the second time is publishing the unedited copy of Mr. Amidu’s press statement below

This press release has been necessitated by three telephone calls from Bawku in the Upper East Region, Burma Camp and Tema both in the Greater Accra Region on the 9th January 2012 expressing support and urging caution for my personal safety because of the cowardly, malicious and libelous attacks against my well established reputation and integrity as a lawyer, a politician and the Attorney- General of the Republic of Ghana by a partisan and rented NDC press group who perceive that I am not performing the duties of my office in their partisan political interests.

I wish to assure the members and supporters of the National Democratic Congress who are still unequivocally and resolutely committed to the original ideas of the 31st December revolution of “Freedom, Justice, Probity and Accountability:,” enshrined in the preamble of the 1992 constitution that I remain steadfast to those principles, ideals and commitments as the foundation of the fourth republican constitution.
I remember the gallant men and women who laid down their lives in diverse ways that this country must live and serve the cause of the majority of the ordinary people whose sweat has consistently been exploited by the elite and elitist politicians in the name of service to the people.

I appreciate the privilege and recognition accorded my integrity and honesty over the decades when I was invited on the 4th June 2011 to the lay the wreath on behalf of the probity, transparency and accountability in memory of our fallen colleagues and heroes.

I have faith and believe in my Ministerial oath of office as a Minister of State and my cabinet oath that requires me to “uphold, preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the Republic of the Ghana as by law established…” Consequently, I wish to assure the people of Ghana that I still stand by my promise in spite of the fact that hard core criminals in our society today have made it a habit to hold paid membership cards of major political parties in the republic as an unconstitutional insurance against crime and criminal prosecutions.

I wish core members and supporters of the NDC who cherish the principles and ideas upon which the party was founded to know that the attacks against me which started in the Daily Post publications of the 3rd January 2012 were planned by a colleague Minister of State, who perceived that my integrity and professionalism as a lawyer was a threat to the concealment of gargantuan crimes against the people of Ghana in which they might be implicated. An alibi was consequently created on 30th December 2012 to unleash the gullible section of the NDC press on me by the leakage of official documents from my ministry through the perverse section of a rented NDC press to the pubic beginning the 3rd of January 2012.

That has back fired because the leaked official documents by the Daily Post; the Informer; the National Democrat; the Ghanaian Lens; etc have rather inadvertently supported my honesty and integrity in public office and my call for the prosecution of criminals regardless of their political party colorations or their social status.

I was deputy Attorney-General and Deputy Minister for Justice for upwards of twelve and half years and know it is not proper for an Attorney-General to execute the functions entrusted to him under article 88 of the constitution in the media instead of the courts of justice. I will speak to the media when it is absolutely necessary to do so but I will not discuss people’s rights and cases in the media to prejudice their eventual procedural rights to a fair trial.

The ethics of a legal profession and the Bar, of which I am a leader, are more sacred to me than that of young and inexperienced members of a communication team of the NDC who are absolutely ignorant of the functions of an Attorney-General under the Constitution of Ghana.

I wish to conclude in this press statement by stating that there is not a single criminal docket against any high political operative of the NPP which has been ready for prosecution in the Director of Public Prosecution’s office that I have failed or refused to prosecute as that Minister of State and the gullible NDC press want the whole world to believe. Fairness requires that NDC criminals be prosecuted by me as well, as an independent and impartial Attorney-General, albeit appointed by the NDC Government.

I have sufficient integrity and experience as a Ghanaian and a legal practitioner who has personally conducted several leading cases reported in the Law Reports of Ghana to naively send hearsay and newspaper accusations to the courts of Justice only to lose them as was the practice a few years past.

Cool heads are what are needed in the office of the Attorney-General and not emotions, inexperience and crass incompetence in the practice of the law.

As for the section of the rented NDC press calling for my removal or dismissal from office, I wish to assure them that I never begged to be appointed Attorney-General: I opposed it on four separate occasions. That criminal section of the NDC press should be assured that I am ready, able and willing for that eventuality. The inescapable fact is that at the end of the day truth will prevail over falsehood in the Republic of Ghana.

I do not fear for my personal safety in a cause I have fought for since I was 30 years old. I am now over 60 years and count myself lucky if I pay the ultimate sacrifice which my compatriots paid in 1979 and 1981 belatedly in the regime of the third NDC Government.

When you die you never know you never lived. Destiny can never be changed but the good people of Ghana and those who laid down their lives from them will forever live on.

Ghana as a nation can never and should never be allowed to be intimidated by charlatans in political disguise.

Signed
Martin Amidu

Samia: Only 10% of CPP members have left

* Source: Citifmonline

The leadership of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has said less than 10 per cent of its members have resigned.

According to the chairperson, Samia Nkrumah, the defection has not in any way crippled the cohesion of the party.

In an interview with Citi News, Nkrumah stated that the leadership of the party is embarking on a family convention in all 10 regions to bond and show their appreciation to existing members for their resilience and support despite the recent happenings in the party.

She added that the CPP is not perturbed in any way by the progress of Dr. Nduom’s Progressive People’s Party (PPP).

Samia also indicated that “I’ve just arrived in Ho for our first family conventions and basically leadership is moving to the regions and constituencies to connect and link up with our members. ”

“Also it is also to thank all those who stood firm and resolute to regroup and mobilize for 2012. By the way, the majority of our members are still with us. It is only less than per cent that are no longer with us. ”

She added: “We wish people in other parties well, this is multiparty democracy. We have a solid political force and ideology to hold on to. ”

* Source: Joy FM Online

The Member of Parliament for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa in the Central Region, Paul Collins Appiah Ofori has described as shameful the dismissal of Attorney General, Martin Amidu for no justifiable reason.

According to him, the decision of the President shows he wants to condone corruption and fraud against the state.

The A-G, in a press release had earlier described sections of the pro-government press as “a partisan and rented NDC press group who perceive that I am not performing the duties of my office in their partisan political interests.”

Mr. Martin Amidu said “a colleague Minister of State, who perceived that my integrity and professionalism as a lawyer was a threat to the concealment of gargantuan crimes against the people of Ghana…” connived “to unleash the gullible section of the NDC press on me by the leakage of official documents from my ministry through the perverse section of a rented NDC press to the public beginning the 3rd of January 2012.”

The statement angered sympathizers of the government who called for his head as a minister but their plea has now been actualized.

But a statement issued by the president and signed by the Chief of Staff, Henry Martey Newman on Thursday said, “His Excellency President Mills has with immediate effect relieved Mr. Martin Amidu of his post as Attorney General and Minister of Justice”.

“The decision is as a result of Mr. Martin Amidu’s misconduct at a meeting last Friday, January 13th 2012, presided over by His Excellency President J.E.A Mills. Mr. Amidu’s conduct is incompatible with acceptable standards expected of ministers and appointees of the President”.

The statement thanked Mr. Amidu for his services rendered to the state as a member of his government.

Speaking on Asempa Fm’s Ekosii-Sen on Thursday, P. C. Appiah-Ofori noted that it is undeserving for the president to fire the A-G when he has made serious allegations against the government which needs thorough investigations and fair hearing from him. “The president should have listened to the side of the minister but have chosen to sack him because he wants to sweep all the ‘gargantuan crimes’ under the carpet”.

The anti-corruption crusader asserted that his trust in President Mills nearly created a brawl between him and his party (NPP) but has now realized Mills is a man of no integrity. “My support for President Mills when he was in opposition created a problem for me. My party pursued me for praising Mills for his genuineness and I expected much sincerity from him but when he became president worst form of corruption has happened”.

Hon. Appiah Ofori explained the dismissal of the A-G should tell Ghanaians that Mills wants to shield the truth of corruption in his government. “Because Martin Amidu is in the process of prosecuting the corrupt officials in Mills government, he has been sacked in order to bury the truth. Why at all must he be sacked?”.

When corrected that the president gave the A-G the opportunity to substantiate the allegations made against a colleague minister, P.C. Appiah-Ofori stressed “if he was given the opportunity and he failed to name the corrupt ministers, then he shot himself in the foot. If that was the case, then it was wrong for him to do that before the appointing authority”.

He claimed that probably if Martin Amidu had named the corrupt minister, he or she could have vilified him (Amidu) and that it is a complex issue.

Basing his argument on section 16 of the financial act which states that payment of a contract should be based contract certificate, he noted that Alfred Woyome had no contract certificate but was paid. “Let’s all ask the ministries involved in the payment to Woyome whether he had any contract certificate. No? I am shocked for Mills condoning this kind of fraud”.

He noted president mills’ government is more corrupt after three years in government then Kufuor’s eight years of power.

“In fact Mills has disgraced all of us from the central region, his family and Ghanaians because he aids fraud and corruption in the country. If people are misbehaving against the state, we should be bold and say it else we are putting the future of the younger ones at risk” he stressed.