Adu Boahen’s gate: A-G can influence SP — Lawyer Kpebu claims

Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu suspects there could be unseen political pressure from a higher authority that compelled the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng to clear former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, of the allegation of Influence Peddling.

Lawyer Kpebu believes that the Attorney-General (AG) Department and Ministry of Justice can pull the strings to change the mind of Mr. Agyebeng per the information available to him.

“I am thinking that, from the way the OSP has done the report, it should be going to the Attorney General for him to also look at it, but perhaps the OSP should look again. I’m struggling to understand how this isn’t corruption,” Kapital Online Team noted Lawyer Kpebu noted on TV 3.

“When you look at the common definition of corruption being using public office for private gains, you would see that from the findings made by the OSP, Charles Adu Boahen took $40,000. If you multiply that, you get the minimum of GH¢500, 000. What for, to be able to help facilitate the meetings, etc., if that is not corruption, I don’t know what will qualify as corruption. So, that particular part is influence peddling, and so it is not corruption. I am struggling to understand it”, he fumed.

“It is influence peddling, but that does not mean it is the only characterization to be given to it. Let’s use the ordinary meaning of corruption, which is that a public servant uses his office for private gain. Adu Boahen was not given the money because he was Adu Boahen, but because of where he is placed as a political appointee, and he is paid from the consolidated fund, he was a public officer is not in doubt,” he said.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has cleared the former minister of state at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, of the allegation of Influence Peddling, a term used by a person of power or influence on someone else’s behalf in return for money or favors.

However, Lawyer Martin Kpebu highlighted the subtle distinction between influence peddling and the broader scope of corruption.

Kapital Online Team//2023