The proposal to scrap the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has sparked intense debate in Keta Municipality of the Volta Region with opinions sharply divided among residents.
Some argued that the OSP had failed to deliver on its mandate of fighting corruption, saying that the slow pace of prosecution of high-profile cases such as that of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, among others, had warranted the call for the scrapping of the office.
Mr Selasi Godway Ablor, a resident of Weme, in the Keta municipality, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said that many believed that abolishing the OSP would be a mistake because it was a crucial institution in the fight against corruption.
“For me, the OSP has made significant progress in investigating and prosecuting corruption cases, despite facing numerous challenges,” he said.
He said that the debate had also raised questions about the constitutionality of the OSP and whether it had duplicated the work of other institutions such as that of the Attorney General’s Department while some also argued that the OSP was necessary to provide an independent and specialised anti-corruption agency with no intention to undermined the authority of the Attorney General.
Mr Ablor explained that the controversy surrounding the OSP had led to calls for reform rather than abolition, suggesting consolidating the OSP with other investigative agencies to create a more effective and efficient anti-corruption body.
“What we are made to understand was that the OSP’s duties involve investigating/ and prosecuting corruption cases, as well as recovering assets stolen from the state. The public expects the OSP to be independent, impartial, and effective in fighting corruption.”
Mr Geoffrey Setsofia Kwasi, another resident, told the GNA that the debate highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the OSP’s operations and demanded that the OSP be given the necessary resources and support to carry out its mandate effectively.
He suggested that the OSP should be given more powers to investigate and prosecute corruption cases, and urged that certain personalities at the office such as Kissi Agyebeng be removed and replace with more competent and action filled individuals to fight corruption in the country to recover many looted resources for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
He said that there should be consolidation in investigation bodies such as the EOCO, NIB, and other agencies under the Attorney-General’s office for a unified oversight, as well as providing adequate funding, technology and staffing to the OSP and create special court to handle corruption related cases swiftly.
He argued that the OSP had contributed meaningfully to the fight against corruption including the risk assessments and investigations into high-profile cases with the collaboration of other agencies and civil societies in promoting anti-corruption education, which could lead to the recovery of stolen assets and serve as deterrent to potential corrupt officials.
Some other residents the GNA interacted with stated that the powers of the OSP should be limited to prevent abuse while arguing that the office had failed to deliver on expected results despite significant budget allocations with concerned about the constitutional grounding and potential overlaps with other anti-corruption agencies.
Former OSP officials, including Mr Martin Amidu, have earlier alleged that the office had been manipulated by previous governments, which undermined its effectiveness and called for proper reform to give independent power to the OSP.
Meanwhile, the future of the OSP hangs in the balance as many Ghanaians including those in Keta municipality await the outcome of the debate on the decision on whether to scrap or reform the OSP to play its role the fight against corruption in Ghana.
GNA
