The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu has given assurances that his office will critically look at the investigative film produced by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his TigerEye PI team on illegal mining dubbed “Galamsey fraud.”
He said his office will also take the necessary actions against persons who are found culpable in the underhand dealings captured in the secretly-recorded video.
Anas and his TigerEye PI team on Wednesday published an investigative video which showed state officials including the secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining and presidential staffer, Charle Bissue, taking bribes to sidestep the laid down procedure for the procurement of mining licenses.
Following the release of the video, Anas and his team formally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate the matter and deal with persons who compromised their positions and perpetrated illegalities.
The team also made available the video documentary that showed the officials taking bribes to the Special Prosecutor’s office.
Martin Amidu, in confirming receipt of the petition while speaking at St. Gregory The Great Provincial Major Seminary at Parkoso in the Ashanti region said investigations will soon commence into it.
“I know there is a video trending on galamsey. My office was petitioned yesterday [Thursday]. I was preparing to come here so I couldn’t read the hefty document that they brought. Videos have been showed…. Be assured that if my office investigates it and there is a crime, it shall be dealt with,” Martin Amidu said.
The government on Thursday also asked for the unedited footages to enable it to investigate and come out with conclusions before it can take action against its officials who were indicated in the film.
Meanwhile, the managing editor of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Kweku Baako has said that the TigerEye PI team and Anas will be ready to provide the unedited footage of the documentary to the Office of the Special Prosecutor if it has a need for them in order to aid its investigation.
Kweku Baako, a mentor to Anas has said that the team will not have any problem in making those files available to the government too as it has readily done that in the past.
Let’s come together to fight corruption
Martin Amidu is urging Ghanaians to come together and join the fight against corruption in the country. He said so-called anti-corruption crusaders must do their work without partiality.
He also challenged religious bodies to support his office in fighting corruption in the country.
Martin Amidu said although President Akufo-Addo has expressed commitment in fighting corruption by setting up his office, some politicians in government and opposition do not want to see him succeed.
“Let’s be active participants in the fight against corruption and then we can stop this thing…. If you want to protect your family, you are not an anti-corruption crusader. An anti-corruption crusader is the one who will deal with his son or daughter when he or she is corrupt. But if you hide the corruption of your daughter or son, or the corruption of your church members and point to the corruption of the other side as most of our political parties are doing, then the fight against corruption is far,” Martin Amidu noted.
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By: Jonas Nyabor | citinewsroom.com
