The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has urged civil society organisations (CSOs) and the public to actively defend and preserve the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to ensure its survival and effectiveness in the fight against corruption.
He explained that the OSP faced serious threats to its existence in 2025 despite recording its best performance year, warning that attempts to abolish the OSP had not been abandoned.
He said but for the intervention of President John Dramani Mahama, the office could have been scrapped by Parliament in the latter part of 2025.
“The majority of Ghanaians trust the Office of the Special Prosecutor, more than any other institution, to fight corruption. However, I have started counting down my days to when I depart as the Special Prosecutor.
“When I become the former Special Prosecutor, I want to look back and say, civil society forged this office and civil society preserved it. It is your handiwork. Do not let it die,” he said.
Mr Agyebeng made the call at a national dialogue organised by the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana) in Accra yesterday on the theme:
“Strengthening the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption through Citizen Support for the OSP and Codifying Public Ethics Rules”.
The dialogue brought together civil society actors, policy experts and governance stakeholders to deliberate on sustaining anti-corruption efforts and reinforcing the rule of law in the country.
Existential threat
Mr Agyebeng cautioned against relying on the goodwill of any government to maintain the office, insisting that its survival must be firmly anchored in law and public support.
He further urged stakeholders to take advantage of the ongoing Constitution review process to entrench the OSP and shield it from political interference.
Mr Agyebeng welcomed proposals to give the office stronger legal backing, stressing that future office holders should not have to spend valuable time fighting for the survival of the institution instead of focusing on their core mandate.
Strengthening the OSP
The Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana, Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, explained that the country’s long-standing challenge in prosecuting politically exposed persons had largely been due to the structural limitations of the Attorney-General’s Office, which operated within the Executive arm of the government.
He said the creation of the OSP as an independent body had significantly reduced that constraint, enabling more impartial investigations and prosecutions.
Dr Asante advocated the strengthening of the OSP through legal and institutional reforms, including proposals under the Constitution review process to merge existing anti-corruption structures into a more robust and independent commission.
The Component Manager of Strengthening Anti-Corruption State Actors, Kweku Obeng, said the public expectations remained high, particularly in the prosecution of high-profile individuals and the recovery of misappropriated funds to sustain confidence in the institution.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh