Stop the infighting: OSP-AG feud is a costly distraction

The Ghanaian public has watched with growing exasperation as the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney-General’s Department engage in a public, damaging squabble over prosecutorial powers. 

This is a needless and costly distraction from the real fight against corruption.

The root of this feud lies in a recent High Court ruling that the OSP lacks independent prosecutorial authority and must seek approval from the Attorney-General. The OSP has rightly appealed, and the final arbiter will be the Supreme Court.

However, instead of exercising restraint until the apex court speaks, the Attorney-General’s office has actively argued in separate proceedings that the OSP’s very establishment is unconstitutional. 

This is a staggering abdication of duty. The Attorney-General is meant to defend the state and its laws, not act as an auxiliary plaintiff against a statutory anti-corruption body. The Minority in Parliament has rightly labelled this a “constitutional betrayal”.

This confrontation is not just legally absurd; it is a political and administrative time-waster. Every day spent on this turf war is a day corruption festers. Over 130 ongoing OSP investigations and prosecutions have been thrown into limbo. 

The government appears to be sending mixed signals, with the President endorsing the OSP while his Attorney-General seeks its constitutional destruction.

This confusion must end immediately. The two offices must forge a functional working relationship until the Supreme Court provides a final, binding verdict. Ghanaians are tired of this public spectacle. 

The only acceptable outcome is a clear, uninterrupted mandate for the OSP to prosecute all cases of corruption without executive interference. Stop the infighting and focus on the work.