Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has firmly rejected calls for the dissolution of his office, dismissing these demands as lacking in substance and failing to consider the actual performance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Mr. Agyebeng argued that a careful examination would reveal that the calls to abolish the OSP were baseless and lacked supporting evidence.
During a roundtable discussion, the Special Prosecutor encouraged critics to be patient with the OSP and expressed optimism that the six-year old office would effectively contribute to the country’s anti-corruption efforts.
“We hear calls, a lot of the time from very high places, that the OSP should be scrapped and that it serves no useful purpose. On another score, there have been and there are attempts to discredit the office and its principal officers unfairly and unjustly, alongside formidable resistance and pushback,” he said.
“A careful examination of the reasons for the calls to do away with the OSP suggests that they were made without reference to the actual performance of the office in the six years of existence and that the calls are borne out of many of the teething challenges confronting the establishment of the office,” he added.
While numerous individuals have raised concerns about the OSP, asserting that it duplicates the functions of the Attorney General and other investigative bodies, there are opposing views as well. Former legislator Inusah Fusieni has condemned attempts to downplay the significance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in the anti-corruption efforts.
Dr. Michael Ayamga Adongo, an Economist at UDS, is among those who criticise the OSP, contending that it undermines the fight against corruption and related offences.
It is clear that there are differing opinions about the performance and significance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and it remains to be seen how the OSP will continue to contribute to the country’s efforts in combating corruption and related offences.
