Mahama Urges OSP to Speed Up Investigations

Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to expedite its investigations and demonstrate tangible results in the fight against corruption.

Mr. Mahama made the call on Wednesday, December 10, during a courtesy visit by the National Peace Council to the Jubilee House. He emphasized the need for the OSP to justify its existence through swift and decisive action.

Acknowledging the public’s demand for progress, the former President stated that the newly reconstituted office requires both space to operate and a renewed sense of urgency. “I’ll just urge the OSP to speed up some of these investigations and show people that the office is still very relevant,” he said.

President Mahama firmly believes that calls for the abolition of the OSP are premature, highlighting its unique and crucial mandate. “Recently, there’s been some controversy with the Office of the Special Prosecutor. I think it’s premature to call for the closure of that office,” he noted.

He explained that the OSP’s independence, with its power to prosecute cases without Attorney General intervention, is a significant advantage. “The unique thing about that office is that it is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to prosecute cases without going through the Attorney General,” he stated.

According to the former President, this independence addresses public mistrust in the Attorney General, who, as a political appointee, may be perceived as hesitant to prosecute government officials. “People have mistrust for the Attorney General… they believe the Attorney General will be very reluctant to prosecute his own. But if there’s an independent office like the OSP, it won’t matter who you are,” he explained.

Mr. Mahama further pointed out that the OSP benefits from security of tenure and the legal authority to pursue wrongdoing regardless of political affiliation. “Whether you’re a member of government, a former government, or anybody who has misappropriated public funds, they have the lawyers behind them to prosecute you,” he added.

The former President’s comments come in the wake of calls from the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, for the OSP to be abolished, citing a lack of meaningful results after eight years. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, also voiced concerns about the justification of allocating substantial budgetary resources to the OSP given its performance.

Despite these criticisms, President Mahama maintains that the OSP remains a vital component of Ghana’s anti-corruption framework and should be strengthened, not dismantled.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE