Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has issued a scathing warning to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, urging them not to repeat what he calls the “callous” mistakes of the past in the ongoing pursuit of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is currently abroad receiving medical treatment.
In an open letter, Amidu invoked a painful historical example, recalling how the late Victor Selormey, a former deputy Finance Minister, was forced to return to Ghana while critically ill, only to be arrested at the airport, tried, and ultimately die shortly after receiving a presidential pardon.
“Memory lane will remind Ghanaians that the late Victor Selormey was put under needless pressure to return home while he was abroad seeking medical attention for serious cardiac problems only to be arrested at the airport, investigated, tried, convicted, sentenced and to die after President Kufour shamefully pardoned him knowing it was too late for him to survive,” Amidu stated.
He described witnessing Selormey’s humiliating arrest on 15 April 2001 by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now known as the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), after the former official flew in from London. Amidu blamed the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, including former President John Agyekum Kufour and his then-Attorney General Nana Akufo-Addo, for what he labeled a heartless act.
“The NDC should not allow Kissi Agyebeng to repeat that callous attitude to any Ghanaian citizen under suspicion of crime who is presumed innocent when the person is seriously ill and is already abroad seeking medical attention to save his life,” he said.
