Mahama Says It’s Premature to Abolish Office of the Special Prosecutor, Calls for Faster Action on Cases

President John Mahama has described calls to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as premature, emphasizing that the institution continues to play a vital role in Ghana’s anti-corruption framework.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the National Peace Council at Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, President Mahama highlighted that the OSP is the only anti-corruption agency in the country with full prosecutorial independence.

“I think it’s premature to call for the closure of that office,” he said, noting that the OSP can prosecute cases independently without routing them through the Attorney-General.

The President stressed that public distrust in the Attorney-General’s office, which is part of the sitting government, makes the OSP’s independence essential. “People believe the Attorney-General will be very reluctant to prosecute his own. But if there is an independent office like the OSP, it won’t matter who you are, because they have security of tenure and the prosecutorial authority to act,” he explained.

President Mahama also urged the OSP to accelerate ongoing investigations to rebuild public confidence. “People want to see more prosecutions and more results. I will just urge the OSP to speed up some of these investigations and show that the office is still very relevant,” he said.

His remarks come in the wake of calls by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga to scrap the OSP, citing its failure to deliver on its mandate nearly eight years after its establishment. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, December 4, Mr. Ayariga questioned the constitutional basis and effectiveness of the office, urging Parliament to reconsider its approval of its creation.

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin also expressed concerns over the continued allocation of large budgetary resources to the OSP, describing the expenditure as unjustifiable given the office’s performance. He noted that despite initial optimism surrounding its establishment, the office has yet to demonstrate commensurate results.

Some legal experts, including former Ghana Bar Association President Sam Okudzeto, have supported calls for the OSP’s abolition, arguing that it has not fulfilled its intended purpose and represents a misuse of state resources.