Sam Okudzeto Slams Special Prosecutor's Office for Achieving Nothing
Former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Sam Okudzeto, has called for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing it has failed to justify its existence in the fight against corruption.
Mr. Okudzeto, speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on December 8, questioned the rationale behind the OSP’s creation, asking whether the institution has truly achieved its intended purpose.
“I don’t think so,” he responded when pressed by host Evans Mensah for his assessment. “The corruption is still rampant. I see it every day, in every institution. People are no longer even afraid to demand money for services already paid for.”
He argued that the OSP duplicates the functions already performed by the Attorney General’s Department. “You have an Attorney General’s Department with civil and prosecutorial sections, headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Solicitor-General respectively,” he explained. “Corruption is no different from any other crime, and the Director of Public Prosecutions is already tasked with prosecuting such offences. Why create another institution to do the same job?”
Mr. Okudzeto contended that the OSP was a misinformed attempt to address corruption, unlike the approach taken in other countries. “In other places with special prosecutors, it’s usually in response to a specific problem, not the creation of an entire institution,” he stated. “We seem to have gotten it wrong from the start.”
He cited examples like the UK, where the Director of Public Prosecution has held prominent positions, including that of Prime Minister. “The Prime Minister of England was formerly a Director of Public Prosecution, and Justice D. F. Annan, a former Speaker of Parliament, also held that role,” he noted.
Mr. Okudzeto believes strengthening the existing Attorney General’s office would be a more effective solution. “That is what should have been done,” he said. “But I suspect someone thought creating a dedicated institution for corruption was a good idea, and then tried to build an institution around an individual.”
He cautioned against establishing institutions without adequately trained personnel. “When you don’t train people to do a job, and you think creating institutions, particularly around an individual, is the answer, it’s dangerous… very dangerous,” he warned.
Mr. Okudzeto reiterated that Ghana already possesses the necessary structures to combat corruption, and the focus should be on reinforcing these systems rather than establishing parallel ones that yield limited results.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
