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Thursday, February 20, 2025

‘Such impunity must not go unpunished under Mahama’s watch’

A photo collage of Martin Amidu (L) and Ken Ofori- Atta A photo collage of Martin Amidu (L) and Ken Ofori- Atta

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has condemned the recent invasion of the residence of former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, demanding that President John Dramani Mahama clarify whether he sanctioned the raid or if it was carried out without his knowledge.

He asserted that allowing those responsible to go unpunished would weaken public trust in the rule of law, emphasizing that such violations must be met with accountability to uphold justice.

In a statement issued on Friday, February 14, 2025, Martin Amidu described the operation as a blatant violation of fundamental rights, asserting that, as head of the executive, President John Mahama bears ultimate responsibility.

“And for President John Mahama particularly, this invasion under his watch, if he did not authorize it, should call to mind the invasion of the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills’ residence in 2002 during his absence while in Canada and the humiliation his dear wife was subjected to during the unwarranted search under the John Agyekum Kufuor government.

“The repeat of such impunity twenty-two years down the line must not go unpunished under President Mahama’s watch if he really intends to reset this country forward and not backward to the gone-by years of the coup mentality,” it added.

Martin Amidu also criticized the Majority in Parliament for downplaying the incident.

“The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, cannot exercise executive authority on behalf of the President of Ghana and speak on his behalf in such an important matter that affects the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens to the right to privacy of their homes,” it noted.

He further warned that state complicity in such acts of impunity could not be ignored, pointing to the involvement of Richard Jakpa, a figure linked to the National Security Coordinator’s office.

“The invasion of Ken Ofori-Atta’s residence, allegedly led by Richard Jakpa, whose appeal was pending in the Supreme Court when the Attorney-General, just appointed by President Mahama, partisanly withdrew the case from the Court, is a more important, pressing reason to have a thorough and impartial investigation into the Rambo-style invasion of Ken Ofori-Atta’s home. Would Richard Jakpa, if he really led the invasion of Ofori-Atta’s home on February 11, 2025, have done so if the ambulance case on appeal was still pending in the Court?

“The answer is in the negative. The involvement of Richard Jakpa in the Ken Ofori-Atta home invasion debacle, therefore, calls for the unearthing of the linkages, interconnections, and interwovenness of all the variables in the chain of the authorization and enabling process of the operations of the security assets and agents of the government to conduct the Rambo-style invasion of a citizen’s home and privacy,” Martin Amidu noted.

Drawing historical parallels, Amidu referenced the 2002 raid on the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills’ residence under the John Agyekum Kufuor administration, arguing that Ghana cannot afford a return to such dark chapters.

“The president needs to walk his talk by ensuring that all those involved in this despicable invasion and other invasions of citizens’ rights and freedoms are brought to trial before the ordinary courts in accordance with the due process of law. Ghana must reset forward and not backward to yesteryears! That is what the electorate voted for and not media psyops to deflect the enormity of such unlawful acts by government assets and agents,” it added.

Read the full statement below:

JKB/MA

Meanwhile, watch as Asiedu Nketiah breaks silence on the ‘uneasiness’ within the NDC and his ‘fight’ with Mahama

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