Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has alleged that President Nana Akufo-Addo instructed the then-Attorney General, Gloria Akufo, not to file charges against Parliamentarians found to have received double salaries.
In his latest epistle, the former Attorney General alleged that Madam Akuffo and Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, after perusing the police docket came to the conclusion that some of the suspects should be charged.
“The credible information I received on the case is and was that the then-Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions had both perused the case docket and had come to the conclusion that charges be filed against some of the suspects for prosecution.
“The Attorney General was instructed not to do so by the President who unconstitutionally usurped the investigatory and prosecutorial constitutional authority of the Attorney General on the grounds of political expediency of having the suspects agreeable to play ball in Parliament for government,” he alleged.
It emerged in 2018 that some Members of Parliament (MPs), who served as ministers in the Mahama administration, allegedly received double salaries.
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The police said the alleged action by the MPs “is contrary to Section 124 (1) of the Criminal and other Offences Act 1960 (Act 29), as amended in 2012, Act 849. Section 124 relates to the offence of stealing.”
Media reports showed that many ministers who served under former President John Mahama took double salaries for four years, while others received double salaries for two and three years, probably because they were reshuffled.
In 2012, four of the ministers took double salaries and are currently not serving in Parliament, but by 2013 the double-salaried appointees had increased to 22, while in 2014 about 18 were said to be involved.
In 2015 and 2016, 15 and 12 appointees took double salaries, respectively.
From 2012 to 2016 when the NDC was in office, some of the appointees were captured in all the data collated as having received double salaries.
The list showed that the appointees received double salaries at least once a month, while others received them monthly throughout the years.
Initially, 25 NDC MPs were said to have been invited by the CID, but the then-Minority in Parliament held a press conference on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, to debunk the allegation.
Lame duck Amidu
Mr Amidu claims there has been a reportage in some sections of the media alleging it was his failure to deal with the matter that had resulted in non-prosecution of the MPs.
But, he insists that while in office, he never dealt with the double salary matter.
