Dr. Frank Amoakohene, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to shift its focus towards pressing national concerns regarding corruption, rather than diverting attention to internal party matters.
This statement comes after the OSP extended an invitation to a failed Parliamentary aspirant for Ejura-Sekyedumase constituency, who was captured in a viral video spraying cash during the recently concluded Presidential and Parliamentary primaries of the NDC.
A virtual meeting was held between the NDC regional executives and the unsuccessful aspirant, Juliana Kinang-Wassan, in an effort to understand the motive behind her actions on that particular day.
Following the meeting, Dr. Amoakohene spoke with Citi News and emphasized the need for the OSP to refrain from interfering in internal party affairs and instead focus on issues of significant national importance. He pointed out examples such as the galamsey (illegal mining) report by former Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Frimpong-Boateng, and the recent gold mafia documentary released by the media group Al Jazeera Network.
“After meeting with Juliana Kinang-Wassan, we observed that the Special Prosecutor is simply seeking relevance. I want to state clearly that the Special Prosecutor should prioritize the major corruption issues, such as Professor Frimpong-Boateng's report and Al Jazeera's gold mafia exposé, instead of focusing on this minor internal matter,” Dr. Amoakohene asserted.
He continued, expressing his belief that the Special Prosecutor may not fully grasp the nature of their role and suggested that the attention given to the incident during the elections was unwarranted. While acknowledging that the manner in which money was sprayed is not ideal, he highlighted the importance of understanding the events leading up to the incident before passing judgment.
“The incident during the elections is nothing to be overly concerned about. It was not the main focus of the elections. If you take the time to listen to the events that preceded what happened, you will understand that the candidate cannot be solely blamed,” Dr. Amoakohene explained.
He further urged the OSP to utilize taxpayers' money to investigate and prosecute high-profile corruption cases rather than concentrating on what he deemed a trivial matter within the NDC.
“The OSP should allocate taxpayers' funds to investigate significant corruption cases,” Dr. Amoakohene concluded during his interview with Eyewitness News.
