Accra, Ghana, 10 December: President John Dramani Mahama has described recent calls for the closure of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as premature, emphasizing the critical role the institution plays in Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture.
Speaking at the Presidency during a meeting with the National Peace Council, President Mahama underscored the OSP’s unique mandate and independence, which he said remain essential for building public confidence in the country’s fight against corruption.
According to him, the Office of the Special Prosecutor is the only anti-corruption institution with the legal authority to initiate and undertake prosecutions without recourse to the Attorney General.
“And recently there’s been some controversy with the Office of the Special Prosecutor. I think it’s premature to call for the closure of that office. The unique thing about that office is it is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to be able to prosecute themselves without going through the Attorney General. And so people had mistrust for the Attorney General because the Attorney General normally is a member of government and is a minister of state. And so they believe that the Attorney General would be very reluctant to prosecute his own,” he said.
President Mahama stressed that the OSP must be given the necessary space and time to operate effectively, noting that its independence ensures impartiality in pursuing corruption-related offences.
“But if there’s an independent office like the Office of the Special Prosecutor, it won’t matter who you are. Because they have security of tenure and they have prosecutorial powers, whether you’re a member of government or you’re a member of a previous government, or you are anybody who has, you know, misappropriated public funds, they have the lawyers behind them to be able to prosecute you. So I think we should give them a little time,” he added.
He acknowledged growing public expectations for more visible results from the OSP and encouraged the office to accelerate ongoing investigations to reinforce its relevance.
“Of course, people want to see more prosecutions and more results. And so I’ll just urge the OSP to speed up some of these investigations and show people that the office is still very relevant,” he stated.
LISTEN TO PRESIDENT MAHAMA IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭