Manasseh Awuni claims OSP failing on key corruption cases
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni warned on Dec 8 that Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor is failing to prosecute key corruption cases, calling its performance a drain on public funds.
Awuni told the JoyNews AM Show that he no longer sees the OSP as the strongest institution in the fight against corruption. He said, “If I were a corrupt person, I would fear ORAL and EOCO more than I would fear OSP,” reflecting his disappointment with the office’s track record.
The journalist highlighted several stalled cases, noting one that is “far less complex than the SML thing” has seen no meaningful action since 2019. Sammy Darko, a civil society activist, posted on Facebook that the OSP did not conduct its own criminal investigation before taking the case to court.
Awuni also disclosed that Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng personally informed him the OSP relied on external investigations for the case. “The OSP went to court on my investigation – that of CHRAJ – and I have now ordered a new investigation. We could even withdraw the case in court and file again,” Agyebeng told Awuni, suggesting the earlier filing lacked proper investigative groundwork.
Regarding the high‑profile AB Adjei case, Awuni argued that delays cannot be blamed on the courts or defence lawyers. “If this case is taking this long and it’s not because the lawyers are frustrating it, it is not because the court is frustrating it—it is because the OSP itself is frustrating the case,” he said.
Despite his harsh criticism, Awuni maintains that the OSP is still needed, but he cautioned against allowing excuses to persist. He warned that the office risks losing credibility if it continues to rationalise inaction, noting that the OSP was established for post‑regime accountability, not to be hamstrung by political connections.
Awuni concluded with a stark warning: “If these excuses, which are turning the OSP into an Office of Special Excuses, are allowed to continue, we will keep spending money on an office that becomes a drain on the national coffers without any impact.”
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
