The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is conducting investigations into more than 130 cases of corruption and corruption-related offences against former government appointees and state institutions.
The institutions include the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, Northern Development Authority and National Sports Authority.
The OSP has also concluded investigations into allegations of the misuse of public office against Charles Bissue, the former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) and will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course.
Mr Bissue was the man secretly filmed allegedly receiving money in an investigative documentary titled Galamsey Fraud Part I published by Tiger Eye P.I. and the investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The Office has also brought finality to the investigation of corruption-related offences in respect of a contract awarded by the Northern Development Authority to A&QS Consortium Limited for consultancy services under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), especially in respect of the quantum of the contract sum.
Consequently, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng or an authorised officer from the OSP will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course, according to a document titled “Half Yearly Report”, issued in Accra, and signed by the SP.
Other state institutions being investigated by the OSP include the Bank of Ghana; (banking sector crisis), Ghana Police Service; (the recruitment exercise of Course 51 of Cadet Officers Training at the Ghana Police Academy), and corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of contracts awarded by the National Sports Authority for the provision of goods and services to a number of companies.
According to the OSP, the investigation in respect of the Ghana Police Service targets specific cases of alleged corruption and corruption-related offences and acts of the use of office for profit, abuse of office, abuse of power, favouritism, nepotism, victimisation and the selection of unqualified persons.
The OSP said it had also commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of Charles Adu Boahen, a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance upon a referral by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by a letter dated November 14, 2022.
The corruption allegations in respect of this case were contained in an investigative documentary titled, Galamsey Economy – published by Tiger Eye P.I. and the investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Mr Agyabeng said other ongoing investigations include allegations of attempt to bribe Members of Parliament by a wealthy businessman, adding that the OSP had triggered a liaison with the office of the Speaker of Parliament in this regard.
He said the OSP had also commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of the termination of a Distribution, Loss Reduction and Associated Network Improvement Project contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC) corruption-related offences in respect of the procurement of and the award of a contract to Turfsport Ghana Limited by the Gaming Commission of Ghana and corruption-related offences in respect of illegal small-scale mining.
According to the SP, the investigation also targeted some officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission.
He said it also investigated the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), especially in respect of the seizure and management of excavators, machinery, road vehicles, and gold nuggets.
The SP said the investigation further targets the activities of Akonta Mining Limited and other companies; nationals of foreign countries allegedly involved in illegal mining; and allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences against some municipal and district chief executives.
On Airbus SE, the SP it was engaged with INTERPOL and the central authorities of the United Kingdom and the United States under the mutual legal assistance regime in respect of alleged bribery by Airbus SE, a European multinational aerospace corporation, in respect of the sale and purchase of military aircraft for the country.
Currently, OSP is prosecuting Mr Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority and his brother-in-law before the Criminal Division of the High Court, Accra.
Mr Adjei has been charged with eight counts of using public office for profit and nine counts of directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of public contracts. While his brother-in-law has been charged with one (1) count of using public office for profit.
The OSP is also prosecuting Mr Sarfo-Kantanka, the former President’s nominee for the position of Chief Executive of Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region before the Criminal Division of the High Court, Kumasi.
Mr Sarfo-Kantanka has been charged with 26 counts of corruption in respect of a public election.
The OSP said it is also investigating 120 other cases at various levels of consideration and would publicise the cases if the SP determines that they are within the mandate of the Office and that they should be moved past the preliminary investigation stage.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
