Following concerns about the non-payment of Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng’s, 16-month salary, Parliament has suspended approval of budget estimates of GH129,000,000 for the office of the Special Prosecutor.
Despite assurances from the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, that the arrears owed to the Special Prosecutor could be paid within one week following an agreement with the Finance Ministry.
However, the Majority Leader insisted that the budget estimates for the office be approved only after the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs provides concrete assurances that the arrears will be paid in full.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, raised the issue of the Special Prosecutor’s non-payment on Thursday, ahead of the presentation of the Office of Special Prosecutor’s annual budget estimates report for the year 2023 by Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.
“Office of Special Prosecutor, you put that man there without determining his service condition. He hasn’t been paid. Some appointments have been made that raise concerns about whether or not the board was aware of them. The events at the Special Prosecutor must be investigated further. He hasn’t been paid in 16 months, and you’ve come to me for a report. Meanwhile, no report has been filed here,” Mr. Iddrisu stated.
An incensed Minority Leader questioned if any government appointees who have kept mute about the issue can live without salary.
“Your commitment to fighting corruption begins with independent constitutional bodies like the Special Prosecutor, who has been denied salary. “Can any of you live without a paycheck?” he asked.
He warned the government not to lay any report for the judiciary unless the Special Prosecutor’s salary is paid.
“Nobody will lay a report in respect of the judiciary here, unless we have the formal correspondence from President Nana Akufo-Addo, in accordance with Article 179 of his comments on the budget of the judiciary.
Avoid the judiciary and Special Prosecutor’s budgets,” he said.
