The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, says he disagrees with concerns raised over the timing of the arrest of former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof Frimpong-Boateng.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, June 10, he described the incident as a “luck-less coincidence.”
“What time is the right time for me to direct the head of this dissolved committee to attend to us to answer questions? What time is the best time? I would say that this is a luck-less coincidence,” he said.
His comments come against the backdrop of the arrest and subsequent bailing of the former Environment Minister.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng was invited by the OSP on May 16 as “a person necessary for the investigations” into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of the activities and expenditure of the dissolved IMCIM.”
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He willingly honoured the invitation, however, events that ensued meant that Prof Frimpong-Boateng was a suspect. He was cautioned and granted bail, for which he says a friend had to stand surety, and officers of the OSP had to follow the friend to verify his residence.
Reacting to this, Mr Agyebeng said everyone a complaint has been made against with regard to the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee of Illegal Mining will be made to show up at the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
He added that all members of the erstwhile IMCIM are subjects of the ongoing investigations into corruption and corruption-related offences relative to galamsey.
According to Mr Agyebeng, the committee has long been under investigation by the OSP following accusations and counter-accusations of suspected corruption.
He went on to say that the information of the arrest and bail of the former Minister wouldn’t be in the public domain if Prof Boateng hadn’t made it so.
“Had the Professor not come out to grant interviews, you wouldn’t have known that he has come to us weeks ago. Since I become Special Prosecutor in August 2021, I don’t put out these things unless you give me cause. For instance, we’ve directed you to show up and you are not showing up, I will declare you a wanted person,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kissi Agyebeng has indicated that it does not deem any person sacred enough to excuse them from interrogations or investigations relating to corruption and corruption-related offences.
According to Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, regardless of the fact that the public may perceive a person to be upright in their dealings, the OSP, as far as it is concerned, does not consider any person to be an angel or a saint, and therefore can be subjected to investigation until proven innocent or otherwise.
He said that when his outfit embarks on an investigation, it seeks to engage anyone and everyone that may be implicated.
“At the Office of the Special Prosecutor, we do not consecrate saints. No one is a saint to us. No one is an angel as far as we are concerned. When we start investigating a case, we’re looking at everybody and everywhere. You personally, as a member of the public may have your favourites. You may have those you think are so good and so consecrated as saints that they come almost untouchable as far as you are concerned.
“I wish I were you to also have the luxury to consecrate someone or some persons as saints in respect of which nothing should be done to them. But where I sit, I do not have that luxury to treat people as saints,” he said.
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