Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has described the suit filed by the Special Prosecutor against Member of Parliament for Bawku Central Constituency Mahama Ayariga as petty.
According to him, the Office of the Special Prosecutor was set up to investigate “grand corruption” in order to allow existing anti-graft agencies to deal with “small” cases.
Lawyer Kpebu expressed this opinion on TV3/3FM’s The Key Points on Saturday, May 25.
His opinion comes in the wake of Martin Alamisi Amidu’s first case of corruption filed at an Accra High Court against tax evasion claims leveled against the former minister of state. Mr Ayariga is said to have paid GH¢6,062.86 instead of GH¢36,591.15 at the port for the importation of three second-hand Toyota Land Cruisers.
For Mr Kpebu, a case involving an amount of GH¢30,000 for the anti-corruption Office is too disappointing.
His comments, however, generated controversy with a New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications officer, Richard Ahiagbah, who was also on the show, arguing that cases of corruption – especially the one in point – should not be reduced to the amount involved.
For Mr Ahiagbah, a failed NPP General Secretary aspirant, the Office of Special Prosecutor was set up to fight a system, which many bodies have not been able to do.
But Mr Kpebu was intransigent.
“I still stand by it that [the money involved] is small. These matters must go to the police.”
He insisted that Mr Amidu must rather concentrate on “grand corruption”.
Source: 3news.com
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***barred word*** you call this petty, who should steal this and be jailed, the ordinary man right? ediot
Did he say petty? Where does grand ***barred word*** start? Even one cedi of state money can do something for a citizen
I support the lawyer, this case will go no where. The system allowed Ayariga to pay that amount. Why blame Ayariga, is he an employee of those who charge import duties. Go and look for employees who purge the duty at the cost.
I really dont care abt how mu has ben stolen. Someone is in jail today for stealing an amount less than GHC 1000 or something whose price is less than GHC 1000. In fact i saw a news recently of a trotro mate jailed for stealing about GHC 500. What is this ***barred word*** trying to say? We should rather be talking abt how we can deliver Mr. Amidu from the spell casted on him by both NPP and NDC. He has been bewitched ever since he stepped foot in that office. He was doing well when he was not giving any pose and i thought he will do better if given more resources but i was wrong. That office was actually meant to cripple him. There are too many witchcrafts in this country.
In the USA people resign and are jailed because $5000= GH 25,000 . This mentality is the reason we are poor
It is not petty given the personality involved. By virtue of his political position, Ayariga is a big fish and Martin AMIDU is spot on. I expect people like Kpebu to support such prosecutions but of late, he speaks any how. Look at his comments on Newsfile recently...he got wrong totally. He is fast losing his reputation as a good analyst.
Oh mother Ghana!!! What did we do to deserve such rubbish? These are the sort of people we have, that is why we cannot develop. What baffles my mind is that he is a lawyer. Everything in this country is mixed with political colours mediocrity.
It can never be petty. I remember Ayariga destroying the life of a fine gentleman called Sakande. Had him jailed and the man has become a vegetable today. Atariga is wicked. SP must prosecute him.