Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has criticized the creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as an “act in futility” that has failed to curb corruption in the country.
He said he had warned the lawmakers against passing the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, (Act 959) but they did not listen to him.
He argued that the OSP was not needed and that the government should rather fund the office of the Attorney-General (A-G) to perform its constitutional mandate of prosecuting corruption cases.
“As for the law you passed on the Special Prosecutor, I did tell you that it was an act in futility. You were not going to achieve anything from that but you went ahead to pass it,” he said.
Bagbin made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) at the Parliament House on Tuesday.
The Role and Challenges of The OSP
The OSP was established in 2018 as an independent agency to investigate and prosecute corruption and related offenses involving public officers and politically exposed persons.
It was seen as a flagship initiative of the former President Nana Akufo-Addo, who campaigned on a platform of fighting corruption and restoring public trust in governance.
However, the OSP faced several challenges, such as lack of adequate resources, staff, and office space, as well as interference and resistance from some public institutions and officials.
The first and only Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, resigned in November 2020, citing political pressure and frustration over his work.
He accused the president of not supporting his efforts to recover a controversial $5 million judgment debt paid to a UK-based firm, Airbus, for alleged bribery and corruption in the purchase of military aircraft for Ghana.
According to a report by Daily Graphic, the president denied the allegations and appointed a new Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, in April 2021.
The Need for Holistic Anti-corruption Reforms
The GACC, a civil society coalition that advocates for transparency and accountability, urged the Speaker to support the passage of pending anti-corruption bills, such as the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, the Whistleblowers Amendment Bill, and the Right to Information Amendment Bill.
The coalition also called for the strengthening of the oversight role of Parliament, the enhancement of public financial management systems, and the promotion of citizens’ participation in governance.
The Speaker assured the GACC of his commitment to collaborate with them and other stakeholders to advance the anti-corruption agenda.
He said he was open to constructive criticism and feedback from the public and the media, and urged them to be fair and factual in their reporting.
He also appealed to the citizens to be vigilant and report any acts of corruption they witness or experience to the relevant authorities.
“We have to work together to fight this. It is not a one-man show. It is not a one-institution show. It is a collective responsibility,” he said.
