‘Criminal syndicate’ comment: Kpebu’s apology to Akufo-Addo triggers social media reactions

Social media users, especially on Twitter, are ingesting the circumstances surrounding which lawyer Martin Kpebu issued a July 24, 2022 apology to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The private legal practitioner had made comments over the weekend suggesting that the president was a member of a criminal syndicate at the Jubilee House citing his failure to pursue corruption cases.

In a statement titled: “Retraction: Martin Kpebu’s comment without prejudice,” the lawyer said his comments were a passionate expression of his disgust at the inaction of the presidency in dealing with some corruption-related issues.

“I do, hereby, retract and apologise for the expression purporting to connect the President of the Republic to crime,” the statement read in part.

The reaction range from those who believe Kpebu has been subjected to massive threats by persons in the corridors of power.

Others believe the retraction could be to avoid any criminal prosecution that may be triggered by the president and the fact that Kpebu is likely to find it hard to substantiate his allegations in court.

But for some commenters, Kpebu spoke the truth and his reaction does not dent his views on corruption and presidential complicity in any way.

Read his full retraction below:

Retraction: Martin Kpebu’s comment without prejudice.

Yesterday, I was a guest on Newsfile where issues including the nation-wrecking canker of corruption was discussed.

This was on the back of yet another frightening survey by the collaboration of two state institutions – CHRAJ and GSS revealing the endemic level of actual corruption in Ghana today.

In the heat of the discussion, I passionately expressed my disgust at the inaction of the presidency in dealing with certain matters bothering on corruption.

I do, hereby, retract and apologise for the expression purporting to connect the President of the Republic to crime.

Signed,
Martin Kpebu

Read his full retraction below:

What Kpebu said:

Speaking on Joynews’ Newsfile program on Saturday, July 23, 2022, the private legal practitioner accused the president of being an ‘abysmal failure’ as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.

He was commenting on a recent corruption report published by a number of state agencies in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The report on corruption and bribery in Ghana titled, “Corruption in Ghana, People’s Experiences and Views” and produced by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, in partnership with the Ghana Statistical Service and with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed staggering figures on corruption in various public and private institutions in Ghana.

Among other things, the report concluded that more than 17.4 million bribes were paid to public officials in the year 2021 alone.

The Ghana Police Service was ranked the highest bribe-taking institution in Ghana whilst judges, prosecutors, and Lands Commission officers in the country were named as the groups of people who take the fattest monetary bribes.

Addressing the issue on the show, Lawyer Kpebu was of the view that the statistics keep getting worse because the first gentleman of the land appears adamant about fighting corruption under his watch.

“Akufo-Addo is part of the criminal syndicate at the Jubilee House. The president is definitely part. This corruption cannot happen without his involvement.

“Manasseh did this thing about Zoomlion, the spraying. When schools were being shut down, you know the corona period, schools were being closed and they were going to come back after 3 months, what was the need for the spraying?

“You follow Manasseh’s story, it lands on the president’s desk. Other stories land on their desks. The president; we have to say with all our energy, is part of that criminal syndicate and that we will not take this from you, you have to just step down,” he said.

Lawyer Kpebu further raised concerns about how the president has failed to honour his promise of using the ‘Anas principle’ to fight corruption when given the opportunity to lead the country as president.

“In opposition, he said he will use the Anas Principle – when the president was coming into office and that’s why I voted for him with alacrity.

“What is the Anas Principle? Private investigations, so the president should tell you and I, how many Anas principles has he used since he came.
“Abysmal failure – so this is 419,” he added.