MPs descend heavily on OSP for swallowing huge resources for nearly 8 years with zero convictions

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is facing criticism from MPs. They question its effectiveness nearly eight years after it was established.

During budget discussions on March 28, MP Isaac Boamah Nyarko raised concerns. He noted that the OSP has received large sums of public money but delivered little in return.

Nyarko pointed out that the OSP has fewer than 250 staff members. Despite this, its compensation costs are 1.8 million cedis. He questioned why such high compensation exists for a small team.

He compared the OSP’s budget to other institutions. Legal Aid received 5 million cedis, while the OSP got 32 million cedis for goods and services and 47 million cedis for capital expenditure in previous years.

“Given all these resources, what has the OSP delivered?” he asked. Nyarko emphasized that the Special Prosecutor should keep 30% of recoveries made by the office.

“If there are no recoveries, how can we assess performance?” he argued. The Attorney General supports an allocation of over 140 million cedis to the OSP, but Nyarko wants a careful review to ensure value for money.

Nearly eight years since its creation, the OSP has not secured a single conviction. Documents show it currently has only three criminal cases in progress.

“When you look at these cases, it’s clear that focus has shifted,” Nyarko said.

MP Baffuor Agyei Awuah also criticized the OSP for lacking convictions and straying from its core mandate. He believes it is pursuing responsibilities meant for the Auditor General.

“It’s been eight years with no convictions,” Awuah stated. “The agency currently has only three criminal cases.”

Awuah stressed that the OSP was created to protect public funds, which is why they are reviewing its budget now. He noted that monitoring government spending is primarily the Auditor General's role.

“It seems like the OSP has strayed from its primary mandate,” he added.

He highlighted public accounts hearings revealing government inefficiencies attract significant attention.

“When Ghanaians see issues during these hearings, they lose faith in the system,” Awuah said. “But it seems like the OSP focuses on matters outside its mandate.”

Awuah concluded by calling for a thorough review of both performance and budget allocation to ensure value for money from the OSP.