Former Special Prosecutor Martin A. B. K. Amidu has raised serious concerns about the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, alleging procedural violations and the unauthorized use of foreign agents for polygraph testing on Ghanaian citizens.
In a detailed statement, Amidu cited Section 7 of Act 959, which mandates vetting for individuals appointed, seconded, or otherwise engaged by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
During his tenure, Amidu ensured that the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), vetted OSP staff in accordance with the law.
“Kissi Agyebeng claims to have engaged employees without complying with Section 7 of Act 959 or Regulation 35 of L.I. 2374 on the Oath of Office and Official Secrecy to be sworn before the named designated officer set out in the Second Schedule before they assume office or perform a function of the OSP,” Amidu stated.
Amidu further alleged that Agyebeng invited agents from a U.S. secret security agency, led by an African-American woman, to conduct compulsory polygraph tests on Ghanaians purportedly employed by the OSP.
This testing, according to Amidu, took place over two weeks using two or three polygraph stations.
A polygraph test–popularly known as a lie detector test–is a machine that measures a person’s physiological responses when they respond to questions.
“The Minister for National Security ought to inform Ghanaians whether the secret polygraph tests compulsorily conducted on those citizens of Ghana purportedly employed by Kissi Agyebeng is consistent with the national security and intelligence laws of Ghana,” Amidu wrote.
“Is the Ministry of National Security, with its National Security Co-ordinator and the NIB, without the capability for conducting polygraph tests on citizens of Ghana to warrant an invitation to a foreign security agency to gather information on citizens of Ghana through unapproved polygraph tests?” he asked.
Amidu expressed his concerns about the implications of such actions, questioning the legality and appropriateness of involving foreign entities in sensitive security matters.
He also warned that polygraph testing is scheduled to continue unlawfully at a later date at the OSP.