The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has called on Ghanaians, particularly civil society, to actively defend and sustain the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), warning that the country risks weakening its anti-corruption fight if the institution is allowed to collapse.
Speaking at a national dialogue on the relevance of the office in advancing Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts, he acknowledged that existential threats to the OSP remain rife and are largely politically motivated, a situation he described as dangerous for the fight against corruption.
“When I become the 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,” he urged.
Organised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), the dialogue provided an opportunity to reflect on the establishment and evolution of the OSP amid rising calls for its abolition.
It 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 the Ministry of Finance.
Recalling what he described as an intervention by the President that saved the office from near abolition last year, Mr Agyebeng called for stronger institutional safeguards for the OSP.
He urged citizens and civil society to take advantage of the ongoing constitutional review process to firmly entrench the OSP within Ghana’s legal framework.
“Do not let this office’s existence depend on the fact that the President wants it to operate as we saw in December 2025.
Secure it. Bound it up and Board it up well and now we have a glorious opportunity with the Constitution review process.
Let it be well-grabbed so that the next special prosecutor will not spend so much of his time fighting for survival of the office or his position,” he urged.
Nonetheless, Mr Agyebeng underscored the need for constructive criticism and citizen engagement to strengthen the OSP.
“No institution stands above test, when it falters, we must speak, not to tear it down, but to make it strong,” he emphasised.
Presenting findings of a validation report on the OSP’s performance at the dialogue, the Team Leader for Governance and Stability at Adam Smith International, Linda Ofori-Kwafo, said more than half of Ghanaians believe the OSP is doing well in advancing the country’s fight against corruption.
She, 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 they are 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,” she stated.
For his part, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnership at Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, stressed 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, and must be safeguarded.
“All the evidence suggests that having an independent office works and it’s really not easily 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,” he stated.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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