The Speaker of Parliament has voiced skepticism regarding the efficacy of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), stating that its creation was essentially an ‘act in futility.’
The Rt Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin suggested that instead, the Attorney General’s department should be separated from the Ministry of Justice.
Addressing lawmakers during the discussion on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, 2021, Speaker Bagbin emphasized his belief that the OSP would not yield significant results in the ongoing fight against corruption.
He expressed his prior warnings about the inefficacy of the OSP, lamenting that despite his reservations, the legislation establishing the office was passed.
“As for the law you passed on the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, I did tell you that it was an act in futility, you were not going to achieve anything but you went ahead and passed it,” Bagbin stated.
This viewpoint aligns with sentiments previously expressed by the Minority in Parliament, who have consistently argued against the necessity of the OSP.
The Minority Chief Whip, Governs Agbodza, raised concerns about the office’s track record, stressing its purported inability to successfully prosecute any corruption cases.
He remarked, “While some of us believe that office was needless because EOCO, CID, and the financial crime unit, all those offices can combine and do a good job, the government insisted that the OSP will do more jobs.”
“Are you aware that as we speak, they have not been able to successfully prosecute a single case, and anybody punished? So the question is how useful is that office? So we are saying that other people could have done the same thing.”
The Office of the Special Prosecutor was established in 2017 through an act of Parliament, serving as an independent investigating and prosecution body with the mandate to inquire into corruption, bribery, or other criminal cases at the national level, whether in the public or private sector.