Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has
charged former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
Professor Frimpong-Boateng allegedly engaged in various corruption and corruption-related activities, including conflict of interest in the award of contracts among others.
The charges are expected to be filed at the court, and Professor Frimpong-Boateng is expected to arraigned in court soon to face trial.
The OSP has vowed to pursue justice in all cases of corruption, regardless of the status or position of the individuals involved.
The news of the charges against Professor Frimpong-Boateng has sparked mixed reactions from the public, with some expressing shock and disappointment, while others are commending the OSP for its efforts in the fight against corruption.
This development comes amidst the government’s efforts to rid the country of corruption and ensure accountability in public office.
It is expected that the trial will be closely watched by the public, as it will serve as a litmus test for the government’s commitment to fighting corruption and promoting transparency in public office.
It would be recalled that the Chairman of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) was invited to the OSP and was surprised to find himself in a room filled with OSP operatives.
He was questioned about his work with the IMCM and was then told he was under arrest on charges of corruption-related activities in relation to the committee he chaired.
The medial surgeon was asked to come with his legal representatives hence he went with two legal brains.
“Maybe yes, maybe no, I’m on bail. The background is that on May 13 or 14, I received a letter from the OSP to appear before them. I was to report on May 16 at 10am, which I did. They later said they were investigating corruption and corruption-related activities of the IMCM, and I was a little bit disturbed. I thought that they were going to stop galamsey and all that, but anyway. I went there and was ushered into a room. Next to me were my lawyers and opposite me were the Principal Investigator and some officers from that office.
“The Chief Prosecutor put his left hand on my shoulder and said, ‘You are under arrest.’ I asked, ‘Why am I under arrest? What are my charges?’ ‘Well, there are no specific charges. We are investigating corruption and corruption-related activities on the committee you chaired,’” he said in an interview with Joy News.
Already, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has clarified his office’s approach regarding the investigation of corruption and related offences.
According to Mr. Agyebeng, suspects are asked to appear with their legal representatives, while whistleblowers are not.
“We treat everybody in the same manner when you appear before us. The nature of how you come to us is very crucial and very important. If you are my confidential source, whistleblower, there is a way I will contact you, and there is a way I will invite you. There is a way I will talk to you because I need information from you. But if you are appearing before me as a suspect, there is also a way. I do not invite you, I direct you to show up because it is a criminal investigation. You are directed to show up. And in the direction to show up, you are specifically told, what we are investigating and the subject matter of what we are investigating,” he explained on Newsfile on Joy FM last Saturday.
He stressed, “And then in the direction for you to come, we tell you that you are a person who is considered necessary for the investigation. And there is a specific direction for you to show up at a specific address for the interview. Then you are told of your rights, that when you are coming, you may come with the counsel of your choice”.
“If I see you as a whistleblower, I consider you as a confidential source, I will not be telling you that when you are appearing before me, come with your lawyer. Why would you need a lawyer if you are coming to divulge some information which I may be interested in? But immediately I tell you that you are directed to show up and that come with a lawyer, then you should know that you are a suspect. And that goes for everyone who appears before us in that scheme of affairs,” he said.
He noted that people are currently attempting to grasp the nature of his office and its operations.
“It is a unique institution with powers that people are now trying to understand,” Kissi Agyebeng explained the powers he possesses.
The statement follows the arrest and subsequent bail of former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, who was invited to answer questions regarding alleged corruption and corruption-related offences related to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), which he chaired.
By Vincent Kubi