NDC must avoid past mistakes – Amidu pleads for fairness in Ofori-Atta case

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has delivered a strong warning to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, advising them against repeating what he describes as the “callous” errors of the past in their current pursuit of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is presently overseas receiving medical care.

In an open letter, Amidu referenced a painful historical incident, recalling how the late Victor Selormey, a former deputy Finance Minister, was compelled to return to Ghana while gravely ill, only to be detained at the airport, prosecuted, and ultimately pass away shortly after being granted a presidential pardon.

“Looking back, Ghanaians will remember that the late Victor Selormey faced unnecessary pressure to come back home while he was abroad seeking medical care for serious heart issues, 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 remarked. He recounted witnessing Selormey’s humiliating arrest on April 15, 2001, by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now known as the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), after the former official arrived from London. Amidu held the then New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, including former President John Agyekum Kufour and his then-Attorney General Nana Akufo-Addo, responsible for what he termed a heartless act.

“The NDC must ensure that Kissi Agyebeng does not replicate that cruel attitude towards any Ghanaian citizen suspected of a crime who is presumed innocent, especially when that individual is seriously ill and already abroad seeking medical assistance to preserve their life,” he emphasized.