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Special Prosecutor will only witch-hunt Mahama's ministers - Former AG

The Minority in Parliament says they will challenge the decision by the government to create a special prosecutor’s office.

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He said the  establishment of the office of the Special Prosecutor is a breach of  Ghana’s constitution.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, he said "The establishment of the office of the Special Prosecutor in common law jurisdiction has always been based upon one important consideration; that is conflict of interest. In our situation where I am very certain and we on this side can predict with almost mathematical certainty, that the office of the special prosecutor will be aiming at prosecuting former ministers and appointees of the former government; wherein lies the conflict of interest?"

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Nana Addo’s presidential campaign was about uprooting corruption in his government.

Nana Addo said, "We have decided that as much as possible we want to take the politics out of it."

The move, according to Nana Addo was intended to separate politics from criminal investigations.

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Meanwhile, Presidential Advisor on Governance and Corruption Daniel Batidam, has kicked against plans by the incoming Nana Akufo-Addo led government to establish the office of an independent prosecutor to fight corruption.

The 2016 presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom has also kicked against the establishment of the Office of a Special Prosecutor as part of measures to deal with corruption.

He said the office establishment is not important.

According to him, Nana Addo's initial priority to deal with corruption is not necessary to fight corruption in the country.

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Haruna Iddrisu said, "You cannot create this without tinkling with article 88 of the constitution.  And article 88 belongs to the executive chapter of the constitution, and that is entrenched. Therefore you cannot be seeking to review that through an act of parliament; that will be to come through the window to seek to amend a constitutional provision. We will subject that proposition to strict legal test, if it includes examining it and considering a legal pronouncement at the highest  level of the Supreme Court."

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