President John Mahama has described ongoing calls for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as premature, urging the public to allow the institution time to deliver on its mandate.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, the President stressed that the OSP remains the only anti-corruption body with full prosecutorial independence.
“I think it's premature to call for the closure of that office,” President Mahama said.
“The unique thing about that office is that it is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to prosecute cases itself without going through the Attorney-General.”
He explained that public distrust in the Attorney-General’s office, because the AG is part of the sitting government, makes the independence of the OSP even more crucial.
“People believe the Attorney-General will be very reluctant to prosecute his own,” he noted.
“But if there is an independent office like the Office of the Special Prosecutor, it won’t matter who you are, because they have security of tenure and the prosecutorial authority to act.”
Calls to abolish the OSP were first made by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga following the detention of private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu.
Several others, including former Speaker of Parliament Mike Oquaye, have since backed the demand.