Martin Amidu
Special
Prosecutor Martin Amidu has demanded an unqualified apology from National
Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) Cassiel Ato Forson for
allegedly defaming him in a matter relating to judgment debt.
The
Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam MP and a member of Parliamentary Select Committee on
Finance had recently insinuated that “sums of money paid to or extended in
favour of Martin A.B.K. Amidu by Government of Ghana pursuant to the terms of
settlement and the consent judgment and order (s) by the High Court in Suit No:
AP 159/2013 between Martin A.B.K. Amidu vrs the Attorney-General were judgment
debts dubiously paid to the Special Prosecutor by the Government of Ghana.”
The
Minister of Finance on July 12 on the floor of Parliament said that government
had paid over GH¢280
million since it assumed office in 2017 out of the nation’s judgment debt which
stood at over GH¢679
million.
Mr
Amidu in a statement demanding apology from the MP said “the Minister of
Finance in answering those questions did not mention the names of the
institution or individual persons to whom the alleged judgment debts were owed
or paid.”
According
to him, “In spite of the refusal or failure of the Minister for Finance to
identify the organizations or persons to whom the alleged judgment debts were
paid when demanded a breakdown of the particulars of the payments on the floor
of Parliament, you Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson chose to call and address a
press conference outside the floor and chamber of Parliament, where you had
immunity.”
“Immediately
thereafter in which you intentionally and maliciously named only three entities
about whom you made the following statements, amongst others ‘we are hearing
and on authority we are hearing that they have paid the likes of McDan, they
have paid Bankswitch, they have paid even the Special Prosecutor an amount of
judgment debt, as to whether they qualify to receive that amount is something
we will have to investigate’,” he added.
“And
that is why I requested the minister responsible for finance to give us a break
down…I also don’t think that in the case of the Special Prosecutor…I hear he
went to court, there was a default judgment and the Special Prosecutor has been
paid some amount for the fact that he was wrongfully sacked as a minister of
state whether that qualifies as judgment debt or not we want to seek further
and better particulars,” the Special Prosecutor stated.
He
added that “in making and causing the defamatory materials to be published
about me in my current official capacity as the Special Prosecutor, you as a
former Deputy Minister for Finance from 2013 to 6th January, 2017, and the
current Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament knew that I had
not obtained any judgment or order(s) from any court of competent jurisdiction
in my capacity as the Special Prosecutor to be paid any judgment debt since my
nomination, approval and appointment to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.”
Giving chronology of how he sued the government and got judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction, Mr Amidu said the NDC MP’s action was clearly to defame him in person and subject him to public ridicule.
BY Melvin Tarlue
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