Co-Chair of the Citizen Movement Edem Senanu has defended the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), insisting it has more than justified its existence compared to other anti-graft institutions.
Speaking on Newsnight on Bullet TV, in response to calls by some Members of Parliament and prominent voices to scrap the OSP over alleged inefficiency, Mr. Senanu argued that critics are overlooking the office’s tangible achievements since its establishment.
“I am not sure people are paying attention to the details. At the moment, the office has 71 investigations ongoing, 33 cases in court, seven convictions secured, over a million dollars retrieved, and more than 5.7 million Ghana cedis saved,” he said.
Mr. Senanu explained that the OSP faced significant challenges in its formative years, including inadequate staffing and infrastructure, yet still managed to deliver results.
“It was set up in 2018 but didn’t get a building of its own until 2022. Staffing only came in 2023. So, to all intents and purposes, the office has had full capacity from January 2024. If you look at what they have achieved in just two years, it is remarkable compared with peers that have existed for 18 or even 30 years,” he told host Philip Abutuatiate.
The anti-corruption crusader further suggested that resistance to the OSP’s work stems from individuals who fear accountability.
“Those who do not want to be accountable are trying to make sure this intervention doesn’t succeed,” he added.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has also pushed back against calls to scrap the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), describing such demands as premature and urging the public to allow the institution more time to deliver on its mandate.
