Martin Amidu
Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has demanded an unqualified apology from National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) Cassiel Ato Forson for allegedly defaming him in a matter relating to judgment debt.
The Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam MP and a member of Parliamentary Select Committee on Finance had recently insinuated that “sums of money paid to or extended in favour of Martin A.B.K. Amidu by Government of Ghana pursuant to the terms of settlement and the consent judgment and order (s) by the High Court in Suit No: AP 159/2013 between Martin A.B.K. Amidu vrs the Attorney-General were judgment debts dubiously paid to the Special Prosecutor by the Government of Ghana.”
The Minister of Finance on July 12 on the floor of Parliament said that government had paid over GH¢280 million since it assumed office in 2017 out of the nation’s judgment debt which stood at over GH¢679 million.
Mr Amidu in a statement demanding apology from the MP said “the Minister of Finance in answering those questions did not mention the names of the institution or individual persons to whom the alleged judgment debts were owed or paid.”
According to him, “In spite of the refusal or failure of the Minister for Finance to identify the organizations or persons to whom the alleged judgment debts were paid when demanded a breakdown of the particulars of the payments on the floor of Parliament, you Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson chose to call and address a press conference outside the floor and chamber of Parliament, where you had immunity.”
“Immediately thereafter in which you intentionally and maliciously named only three entities about whom you made the following statements, amongst others ‘we are hearing and on authority we are hearing that they have paid the likes of McDan, they have paid Bankswitch, they have paid even the Special Prosecutor an amount of judgment debt, as to whether they qualify to receive that amount is something we will have to investigate’,” he added.
“And that is why I requested the minister responsible for finance to give us a break down…I also don’t think that in the case of the Special Prosecutor…I hear he went to court, there was a default judgment and the Special Prosecutor has been paid some amount for the fact that he was wrongfully sacked as a minister of state whether that qualifies as judgment debt or not we want to seek further and better particulars,” the Special Prosecutor stated.
He added that “in making and causing the defamatory materials to be published about me in my current official capacity as the Special Prosecutor, you as a former Deputy Minister for Finance from 2013 to 6th January, 2017, and the current Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament knew that I had not obtained any judgment or order(s) from any court of competent jurisdiction in my capacity as the Special Prosecutor to be paid any judgment debt since my nomination, approval and appointment to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.”
Giving chronology of how he sued the government and got judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction, Mr Amidu said the NDC MP’s action was clearly to defame him in person and subject him to public ridicule.
BY Melvin Tarlue