Anti‑corruption CSO urges review before OSP is scrapped
Citizens Movement Against Corruption co‑chair Edem Senanu on Saturday, Dec 6, told Channel One that calls to scrap the Office of the Special Prosecutor are misguided, urging instead a review and strengthening of the fledgling body. He argued that abolishing the office now would be a step backward for governance.
Senanu’s comments come as Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and several MPs have petitioned the President to abolish the OSP and return prosecution of corruption cases solely to the Attorney‑General’s Office. The parliamentary debate has intensified after three separate petitions demanded the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.
“I think reviewing and strengthening the OSP is where I will go. It’s a key institution that has something to offer. If we have politically exposed persons who say we should scrap it, we need to be very cautious. It’s an institution that is being built,” Senanu said.
He also warned that dismantling an institution still finding its operational footing would undermine Ghana’s fight against corruption. “I find the comments in Parliament disconcerting because they are politically exposed persons. Some MPs supported the debate during the passage of the law. So to suddenly say that we should throw the baby out with the bathwater is not the way to go,” he added.
The petitions allege financial mismanagement of over GH₵364 million, collusion with former Finance Minister Ken Ofori‑Atta, and procedural failures in the high‑profile SML contract case. Petitioners include Simon Yaw Awadzi of COFIIG, Apostle Abraham Lincoln Larbi and anonymous sources.
Senanu urged lawmakers to move beyond political maneuvering and commit to structural reforms that improve the OSP’s accountability and effectiveness. He stressed that strengthening the office would serve Ghana’s long‑term anti‑corruption agenda.
As the President’s office reviews the removal petitions, the OSP faces an existential crisis that could reshape the country’s anti‑corruption architecture. Stakeholders say the next steps will determine whether Ghana strengthens its institutions or retreats to an older prosecutorial model.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
