Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu
Private legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has called on the Special Prosecutor to travel to the address of the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in the United States of America, to interview him regarding the pending investigation on the alleged corruption and corruption-related offences against him.
He said this move is possible, as the OSP, during his investigation on the Airbus scandal, traveled to the United Kingdom to dig deeper for more information.
Speaking on TV3’s The Keypoints, monitored by GhanaWeb, the legal luminary said this advice, when adhered to, will squash claims that the declaration of the former finance minister was a political witch hunt.
“I disagree with his reasons for declaring Ofori-Atta wanted. I side with Mary Addah that Kissi Agyebeng should rather travel out to the US; Mayo Clinic or the address given and look for Ofori-Atta there.
“He has done that in the past. My understanding is that when he was doing the Airbus investigation, he went to the UK, etc. Even if he has never done it, he can always do so, so that we don’t do it in such a manner that it will be seen as a political witch hunt,” he stated.
Martin Kpebu also said the Special Prosecutor must look into the medical claims of Ofori-Atta to determine whether they are factual before making further comments.
He said, “Once Ofori-Atta’s letter predates Kissi Agyebeng’s request for him to come and answer, I think we should tread cautiously, investigate the bona fides of the medical claim, go into it and see that no, there is a ruse, he is not really sick, etc., then we can be on your side.”
The private legal practitioner also noted that he has an issue with the timing of the pursuit of the former finance minister.
He questioned why the OSP would wait for Ofori-Atta to leave the country before going after him when the corruption-related offences have been in existence for quite some time.
Ken Ofori-Atta is wanted by the OSP for cases being investigated, including the loss reduction contract between ECG and Beijing Jao, procurement over National Cathedral, contracts awarded by the Health Ministry to Service Ghana Auto Limited/Ambulances, and the SML-GRA deal.
Lawyers of Ken Ofori-Atta had responded to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) officially informing them about the inability of the former finance minister to honor an invitation to be physically present for investigation into alleged corruption charges.
They stated that he was receiving medical care from the Mayo Clinic in the United States of America.
Watch the Special Prosecutor declaring Ken Ofori Atta a fugitive:
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