Kissi Agyebeng opposes move to hand over OSP mandate to CHRAJ

The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, opposes transferring his office's anti-corruption role. He insists the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) must remain Ghana's main anti-corruption body.

At a forum for the Constitutional Review Committee, Mr. Agyebeng rejected calls to abolish the OSP. He described these suggestions as "misguided." Critics argue that the OSP duplicates functions of the Attorney General and other agencies.

Dr. Michael Ayamga Adongo, an economist at UDS, claims the OSP undermines anti-corruption efforts. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, chairman of the ruling NDC, believes the OSP should be scrapped due to its ineffectiveness.

Mr. Agyebeng disagrees with this perspective. He stated that CHRAJ should focus on human rights while the OSP leads anti-corruption efforts.

He warned that dismantling the OSP would harm Ghana's progress against corruption. The current system has been effective since 2018, with clear roles for each agency.

The OSP handles corruption cases, CHRAJ addresses human rights issues, and EOCO focuses on economic crimes. Mr. Agyebeng emphasized their collaboration has worked well since 2018.

The OSP was established in 2018 as Ghana's leading independent anti-corruption institution. It aims to investigate and prosecute corruption in both public and private sectors.

As of April 28, the OSP reported four prosecutions and recovered over GHS 3 million. They also saved Ghana more than GHS 135 million through their efforts.