Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has been detained by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for allegedly hindering detectives probing corruption charges against Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.
Kpebu’s lawyers said he was held following an invitation to see investigators. The lawyer had earlier indicated he would not cooperate unless the inquiry committee was independently established.
Kpebu questioned the OSP’s handling of the process, calling his earlier visits as “botched” due to being obliged to appear before police who report directly to Mr. Agyebeng.
“I am hoping that they would get it right this time, they kept making me appear before subordinates. Subordinates can’t investigate their boss. It’s incompetence.” Kpebu added.
He reiterated that he is willing to cooperate, but only with a properly formed committee. He said that junior police investigating the Special Prosecutor undermined the process’s integrity.
Kpebu’s lawyer, Marcellinus Biah, stated, “They whisked him away.” We don’t know where Mr. Kpebu is right now.
In a TV3 interview, Biah stated that they attended an invitation from the Office of the Special Prosecutor to assist with investigations. So, while we were on the premises, Martin conducted an interview outside the Office of the Special Prosecutor and then returned.
“So, it appears that one of the officers, that is, the police officer at the gate was not too happy with Martin granting an interview outside the premises of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Martin actually telling him that, no, there was nothing wrong with him granting an interview and subsequently attending to the inquiry.”
“And so there was some amount of altercation between, verbal exchange between him and then the officer. Thereafter, Martin proceeded to attend to the inquiry committee. So while we were, I mean, having discussions with the inquiry committee, in the course of that they told Martin that he had actually obstructed an officer of the Special Prosecutor and for that matter, he was going to be charged.”
“Meanwhile, let me be quick to add that when the altercation took place, Martin was first to even request to make a complaint against the third officer,” Biah added,
“But we’re told that the complaint center was not available to take our complaints. So, Martin proceeded to the inquiry board committee and presented a complaint before them.”
Release
Mr Kpebu was been freed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) after he was held on Wednesday, December 3, a situation that temporarily interrupted plans to examine him over corruption charges he has made against Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.
He was released Wednesday evening after meeting bail conditions imposed for him.
Kpebu, who had come at the OSP for an interaction with investigators, reportedly battled with police officers at the entry and was taken into jail before any interview could occur. According to sources, the Special Prosecutor was unable to question him while he was still being held by the police.
Later, he was granted bail that required a landed property in his name as security, but Kpebu was unable to be located when his attorney came back to finish the procedure.
Tensions between Kpebu and the Special Prosecutor are still present at the time of the event. The lawyer has regularly questioned the OSP’s investigative method, accusing the office of procedural flaws and of allocating inquiries to young officials who answer directly to Mr. Agyebeng.
Speaking to reporters prior to a previous meeting at the OSP last week, Kpebu insisted that the existing setup jeopardizes justice and honesty and stated that he would only assist investigators if an independently created committee handled the investigation.
He has also addressed earlier complaints about the inquiry into former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, arguing that the OSP bungled basic procedural processes in that instance as well.
Source: newsthemegh.com