President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed a sustained effort by government to resource institutions such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to fight corruption.
Therefore, he describes as “premature” calls by a section of the public to scrap the Office.
The talk about the scrapping of the Office heightened following the recent arrest of private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu at the premises of the OSP. He was there to assist in investigations over comments said to have brought the name of the Office into disrepute.
The action by the OSP stirred a debate in Parliament with the Speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, revealing his aversion towards the establishment of the Office through a legislation while he was a Member.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who cranked up the debate in the House, has joined forces with the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, to sponsor a bill to get the Office scrapped.
But speaking at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, President Mahama noted that the fight against corruption is vital to the government “that is why we are resourcing the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the other anti-corruption institutions including the Office of the Special Prosecutor and recently there have been some controversy with the Office of the Special Prosecutor”.
“I think it is premature to call for the closure of that Office,” he stated.
He further observed that the Office “is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to be able to prosecute themselves without going through the Attorney-General”.
“And so, people had mistrust for the Attorney-General because the Attorney-General normally is a member of government and a Minister of Sate and so they believe that the Attorney-General will be very reluctant to prosecute his own.”
President Mahama rather urged the Office to shore up prosecutions in order to win the confidence of Ghanaians.
“I think we should give them a little time. Of course, people want to see more prosecutions and more results.
“So, I will just urge the OSP to speed up some of these investigations and also show people that the Office is still relevant.”