A former staff member of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has dragged the specialised anti-corruption agency to court for terminating his appointment without affording him a hearing.
In a suit filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court, Deputy Staff Officer (DSP) Mark Kwaku Asiedu-Arthur is challenging the withdrawal of his appointment, citing a violation of his fundamental human rights.
Prior to joining the OSP in 2023, Asiedu-Arthur worked with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), where his appointment was terminated in 2016. He claims this information was fully disclosed during his OSP job interview before he was hired as an investigator.
According to him, after serving a one-week suspension in connection with an ongoing investigation, he was not given the opportunity to appear before any disciplinary committee before his appointment was terminated in June 2025.
He argued that the OSP’s withdrawal letter, which claimed it only became aware in 2025 of his dismissal from the NIB in 2016 and thus found him ineligible for employment, was disingenuous. He maintains that this fact had already been disclosed during his recruitment.
Asiedu-Arthur contends that having been aware of his prior dismissal and still choosing to employ and later confirm him, the OSP cannot now rely on the same fact to justify revoking his appointment. He said he was denied the right to be heard.
“The decision of the OSP to rely on a known and previously accepted fact to now justify the withdrawal of my appointment is an abuse of discretion and a violation of my rights,” he argued.
“I am advised by counsel and verily believe same to be true that a public institution cannot rely on its own inaction or oversight as a ground to deprive an individual of employment or protection under the law.”
He added that the OSP’s actions had caused him grave injustice and irreparable harm to his professional reputation.
Reliefs Sought
Asiedu-Arthur is asking the court to declare that the OSP’s withdrawal of his appointment without a hearing—and based on previously disclosed information—is unfair, unreasonable, and in breach of Article 23 of the 1992 Constitution.
He is also seeking:
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A declaration that the withdrawal violated his right to a fair hearing and administrative justice.
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An order for reinstatement or, alternatively, payment of a lump sum as compensation.
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Further compensation for the violation of his rights.
His writ was filed by his lawyer, Derrick Aboagye Asamoah.
Background
In the court documents, the applicant said he was offered employment by the OSP on July 31, 2023, after fully disclosing his prior termination from the NIB. During his 12-month probation, he was assigned to investigate several cases, including one involving the Scholarship Secretariat, which led to the arrest of suspects and the collection of evidence.
Asiedu-Arthur alleged that his investigative team was preparing to arrest former CEO of the Scholarship Secretariat, Kingsley Agyemang, whom he claimed was a close friend of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng.
He further alleged that in October 2024, the Special Prosecutor instructed him to discontinue investigations involving Mr. Agyemang, who was then a parliamentary candidate for Abuakwa South, to avoid harming his political ambitions.
Following this, Asiedu-Arthur claimed he began facing victimisation, although his appointment was confirmed on October 1, 2024.
He later became the subject of a petition alleging he held another job under the name Michael Ebbah and was earning income without the SP’s approval. He said the petitioner mistook him for someone else and provided false details, which the OSP later verified.
In June 2025, he said he was interdicted shortly after calling the OSP to request charge statements in the Scholarship Secretariat case. He contends he was never granted a hearing before the OSP terminated his appointment, again citing his past dismissal from the NIB as grounds.