Prime News Ghana

Bill on Special Prosecutor to be laid in Parliament next month

By Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah
Lawyer Akoto Ampaw has reportedly been selected as the Special Prosecutor
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The Office of the Special Prosecutor will soon see the light of day, government has hinted.

According to the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, a bill on setting up the office will be sent for consideration when Parliament resumes sitting.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during campaigning in the 2016 general elections promised the Office of Special Prosecutor to deal solely with matters relating to corruption.

This, he explained, was to depoliticise the fight against the corruption as the office holder would be a professional, whose work would not be tagged as political witch hunting, unlike the Attorney-General who is a political appointee.

Except for the reported selection of Nana Addo's longtime friend, Akoto Ampaw as the first ever Special Prosecutor in February, nothing has been heard about the position leaving many wondering about the commitment the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to fighting corruption.

The corruption scandals which have rocked the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the  National Communication Authority (NCA) have rekindled conversation on the strategy of the current government to fight corruption. Some critics say the government steps to prosecute corrupt officials are too slow.

But speaking in an interview on Citi FM's Eyewitness News, the Director of Communications at the President called for patience from the general public as the fight against corruption could not be won with haste.

He revealed that government had put together the bill to set up the Office of Special Prosecutor and was only awaiting the resumption of Parliament to lay it.

"We expect the bill setting up the Office of Special Prosecutor to be laid before Parliament when the next session resumes in June", he said.