It’s the birthday of Ghana’s Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng today. He is 45 years old today. Happy birthday Mr. Agyebeng.
Profile
Kissi Agyebeng is a lawyer and an academic. Prior to his appointment as Special Prosecutor 2021, he was a lecturer at the University of Ghana and the chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal of Ghana.
Agyebeng was born on 2 July 1978 and hails from Kwahu Nkwatia, in the Eastern Region. He attended the Accra Academy, obtaining his Ordinary Level (O-Level) certificate in 1994 and his Advanced Level (A-Level) certificate in 1996.
Following his secondary education, he gained admission to study Law at the University of Ghana, where he graduated in 2001 as the best-graduating student of his batch, winning the Bentsi-Enchill Award for Best Graduating Law Student.
Agyebeng continued at the Ghana School of Law in 2001 and graduated in 2003 with the E.N. Sowah Memorial Award for Best Student in Family Law.
That same year, he was called to the Ghana Bar. In 2004 he enrolled at the Schulich School of Law, University of Dallhousie, where he studied Marine and Environmental Law, graduating in 2005.
Following his postgraduate studies at Dallhousie, he entered Cornell Law School, Cornell University, for another master’s degree program in Corporate Law and Securities Regulation. At Cornell, he was the editor of the Cornell LL.M. Newsletter.
Academia
Following his post-graduate studies abroad, Agyebeng returned to Ghana where he gained employment as a lecturer at the University of Ghana. In 2009, he doubled as the International Humanitarian Law lecturer at the Regional Maritime University in Nungua, Accra.
He joined the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College and taught Criminal Law a year later at Mountcrest University College.
In 2013 and 2014, he taught Criminal Law at Central University College, and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) respectively. He remained a lecturer at the University of Ghana until his appointment as the Special Prosecutor in 2021
Legal practice
Agyebeng began as an associate at Zoe, Akyea and Co. Law firm. He joined the Center for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), a Human Rights/Public Interest Law Firm in Accra in 2008, and a year later, gained employment at the Accra-based Ayine and Felli Law Firm as a Senior Associate.
Prior to his appointment to the office of the Special Prosecutor, he was a Managing Partner of Cromwell Gray LLP, and the chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal of Ghana; a tribunal responsible for the adjudication of appeals from verdicts of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Dispute Resolution Committee of the NCA, with regards to the use of electronic communications, how broadcasting is regulated, and the utilization of the electromagnetic spectrum, in addition to other related issues. He was appointed tribunal chairman on 1 July 2019, succeeding Samuel Date-Bah, formerly Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
Special Prosecutor (2021- present)
Agyebeng was nominated on 26 April 2021 by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, to replace Martin Amidu, the former Special Prosecutor who resigned on 16 November 2020.
The nomination was in accordance to section 13(8) of the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 (Act 959) which states that; “When the position of the Special Prosecutor becomes vacant, the president shall, within six months, appoint another qualified person for that portfolio”.
In a letter to the office of the president, the Attorney General stated that; “Kissi Agyebeng possesses the requisite expertise on corruption and corruption-related matters, is of high moral character and proven integrity and satisfies all the other requirements stipulated in section 13(1) and (2) of Act 959”.
The nomination was then approved by the president and forwarded to parliament. He was vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Thursday 22 July 2021, and unanimously recommended. He was subsequently approved unanimously by parliament on Friday 30 July 2021.
Kissi Agyebeng is a Christian and married.