Anti-corruption crusader, Vitus Azeem has urged Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng to immediately take steps to recuse himself from his office’s investigation into alleged illegal mining-related corruption.
According to him, this will prevent conflict of interest considering his close relationship with ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
This follows the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s announcement of investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding illegal small-scale mining.
A statement issued by the OSP noted that the investigations will target some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Forestry Commission as well as the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.
However, Vitus Azeem believes that due to the relationship between Kissi Agyebeng who acted as the lawyer for Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his investigative piece on Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, it would be prudent for the Special Prosecutor to recuse himself.
“Kissi Agyebeng is not the Office of the Special Prosecutor, he is the Special Prosecutor but he works with people. There’s a deputy Special Prosecutor and there are other people. So what he can do is not take up the matter himself but the Office should be able to take up the matter. It is a risk that he might be tempted to be biased or influence the investigation in a certain direction. But once his attention has been drawn to it that should make him recuse himself from the main investigation and leave it to his subordinates to do the work.
Vitus Azee added: “One thing about conflict of interest is that when you are aware of it, you take steps to avoid it or minimize it such that it does not influence or affect whatever decision that is going to be taken in connection with the matter.”
“So I believe that the best is for him to come out openly and say that he’s not going to be part of this investigation and stay away because of his relationship with Anas Aremeyaw Anas.”
