Section of Public Expresses Reservations About OSP

By Allia Noshie

A section of the pulic has stated that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is gradually losing its significance.

Although they acknowledged government's efforts in establishing the office, they said it was not enough to fight against the canker of corruption.

Last Friday marked the one year anniversary of the nomination of Martin Amidu by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The nomination was a fulfilment of a key campaign promise to Ghanaians by the President, then a flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor has told journalists that he was working on the quiet and that prosecutions on cases of alleged corruption would soon begin.

Some Ghanaians who shared their opinions in separate interviews with the Ghanaian Times, in Accra on Tuesday expressed reservations about the OSP.

Gideon Kadmiel, a teacher, noted that the OSP was not adequately resourced.

"Government has not done much to secure the office promptly," he said.

Mustapha Jimah, an administrative officer said "no progress had been made at the OSP".

"To me I see the office to be a political tool to discredit the opposition because the duty of the Special Prosecutor is nothing different from that of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), formerly the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Attorney General's Office or any of the state institutions mandated to ensure that corrupt acts are dealt with."

"As we speak Mr Amidu does not even have a well established office," he said and noted that the Office had not made any significant progress as to why it was established to a broadcast technician/graphic designer Little Nsobilla.

If government was not interested in fighting the menace the office would not have been established, a trader Vanessa Agyekum opined.

Janet Appiah, a retired teacher pointed out that there were concerns in regards to the commitment of politicians to fight against corruption as there had been no prosecution by the office yet.

Also known as 'Citizen Vigilante' for his no-nonsense approach to corruption, Mr Martin Amidu was nominated by President Akufo-Addo on January 11, 2018, after an emergency cabinet meeting.

The office of the Special Prosecutor is mandated to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption under the Public Procurement Act 2003 Act 63 and other corruption-related offences involving public officers, political office holders and their accomplices in the public sector.

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