Private legal practitioner Kwame Adofo has reconsidered his earlier support for calls to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing that scrapping the institution will not solve Ghana’s fight against corruption.
According to him, although dissolving the OSP may appear to be the easiest way out of the ongoing controversies, it raises a critical question: What happens to existing and future corruption cases if the office ceases to exist? That concern, he explained, compelled him to reassess his stance.
Adofo stressed that even if the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, were to be removed, the fundamental challenges would persist. He pointed out that traditional state institutions tasked with combating corruption failed to deliver in the past, which was why the OSP was established in the first place. Therefore, frustrations stemming from the tenures of former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu and the current officeholder, he argued, should not be enough justification to dismantle the institution entirely.
He admitted that he initially supported the idea of dissolving the OSP, but further reflection changed his mind.
Adofo questioned whether the country should give up on the office or maintain confidence that with the right leadership, it could still function effectively. He believes someone capable could eventually occupy the position and deliver better results, making it worthwhile to preserve the office rather than scrap it.
He also noted a limitation within the OSP Act, which requires that the Special Prosecutor must not owe allegiance to any other country. This, he said, narrows the pool of eligible candidates, as some highly competent Ghanaians hold dual citizenship. Despite this restriction, he maintains that Ghana can still find the right fit to strengthen the office and advance the anti-corruption agenda.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku