OSP is duplication of Attorney-General’s mandate – Speaker of Parliament

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, has expressed concerns over the efficacy of the law that established the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

He contended that there could be duplication and inefficiencies as a result of the Attorney General and OSP having substantially similar authority.

The Speaker of Parliament emphasised during the discussion of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, that the office will not succeed in combating corruption.

“As for the law you passed on the establishment of the Special Prosecutor, I did tell you that it was an act of futility. You were not going to achieve anything from that, but you went ahead and passed it. I disagreed with you, but I was alone,” Rt. Hon. Bagbin said.

“It was very clear that that authority is embedded in the powers of the Attorney General constitutionally,” he added.

The performance and mandate of the OSP have been subject to several criticisms, including those made by Kissi Agyebeng’s predecessor, Martin Amidu.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, November 29, Mr. Agyebeng accused the judiciary of showing a lack of respect for his office’s authority by dismissing its cases too quickly.

Mr. Agyebeng characterised the trend as alarming and detrimental to the fight against corruption during a press briefing in Accra.

But Mr. Agyebeng’s criticisms of the courts have been challenged by other authorities, including the Judicial Services Association of Ghana, who have recommended to the OSP to fight back any grievances through the court system.

Since its establishment, the office has not been able to effectively prosecute a single case. Martin Amidu, the organisation’s first leader, resigned after charging that the government was depriving the office of the funding it required to operate.

The opposition NDC, led by its leader, John Mahama, once chided President Akufo-Addo for packing the judiciary with officers affiliated with the NPP.