Accra, Ghana//- Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is courting the support of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Ghanaians in general to sustain its existence and fight rising corruption in the country.
According to the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, if they don’t actively defend and sustain the OSP, the country risks weakening its anti-corruption fight. It will also lead to the collapse of the OSP, which was established in 2018.
He made the call at a national dialogue organised by Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) on its ‘Reflection Paper on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP)’.
Mr Agyebeng, who is the second Special Prosecutor since the establishment of the OSP, lamented that the existential threats to the OSP remain rife, which, he said, are mostly politically motivated.
He added that politicians see the OSP as “bad news” for their interests, making it a frequent target of efforts to undermine its authority.
This unfortunate situation, according to him, is dangerous for the fight against corruption and its siblings in the West African country.
In his own words: “When I become a former Special Prosecutor, I want to look back and say, civil society forged this office and civil society preserved it. It is your handiwork. Do not let it die”.
Mr Agyebeng also raised concerns over political interference in the operations OSP, and described the Office as a target for politicians seeking to limit its work.
He attributed the OSP’s continued existence to the goodwill of President John Dramani Mahama, amid a bill reportedly drafted by the Majority in Parliament to scrap the Office.
Without such support, the OSP might have been scrapped, Mr Agyebeng stated.
The OSP boss was emphatic that this persistent threat underscores the need for strong backing from civil society organisations and the general Ghanaian public.
Mr Agyebeng maintained that the independence of the OSP should not depend solely on the goodwill of any sitting President and called for strong constitutional safeguards to secure its permanence and autonomy in the country.
“We must build this Office for the ages. So that future Special Prosecutors do not spend most of their time fighting for survival instead of executing their mandate.”
Presenting findings of the reflection paper on the OSP’s performance at the dialogue, the authors and consultants of the well-researched reflection paper, Linda Ofori-Kwafo and Prof Justice Bawole, revealed that more than half of Ghanaians believe the OSP is doing well in advancing the country’s fight against corruption.
They, however, called for increased support for the institution, including adequate resourcing, to enhance its effectiveness.
“Generally, the OSP has the support of the majority of citizens; however, it could be more effective, meaning the OSP can do better than it is now if granted additional critical tools and made permanent.
Winning the fight against corruption is possible, but it requires more investment and collaboration from all of us,” they said..
In his welcome address, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnership of CDD-Ghana, Dr Kojo Asante, noted that the establishment of the OSP had helped address a critical gap in Ghana’s governance framework, particularly in dealing with corruption involving politically exposed persons (PEPs).
To this end, he called for the safeguarding of the OSP.
Dr Asante added: “All the evidence suggests that having an independent office works, and it’s really not about the person who is sitting in the chair; it’s making sure that whoever comes, they have the independence, they have the protection and the support to be able to deliver the performance that we want from the Office”.
Kweku Obeng, a manager of GIZ, said their efforts against corruption must be strengthened. He noted that despite the sustained attacks on the OSP, it has won some corruption-related cases in the country.
The national dialogue, which provided the platform to reflect on the establishment and evolution of the OSP amid rising calls for its abolition, formed part of the Participation, Accountability, Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIRED) programme, commissioned by the European Union and implemented by GIZ in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
