Executive Director of Transparency International (TI) Ghana, Mary Addah, says proposals to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) are misguided, unnecessary, and premature.
Her comments come in response to a Private Members’ Bill jointly submitted by Members of Parliament Mahama Ayariga and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, seeking to repeal the OSP Act (Act 959).
The proposed Office of the Special Prosecutor (Repeal) Bill, 2025, dated December 8, calls for the complete dissolution of the OSP, with all corruption-related prosecutions reverting to the Attorney-General, as stipulated under Article 88 of the Constitution.
Bill’s Rationale
The memorandum accompanying the bill argues that the OSP’s nearly eight-year existence has revealed deep-rooted structural and constitutional deficiencies that undermine its effectiveness.
It further cites:
-Alleged overlaps in prosecutorial authority between the OSP and the Attorney-General
-Resulting institutional friction and conflicting mandates
-Delays in the prosecution of corruption cases
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Mary Addah insisted that the OSP should be strengthened—not dismantled.
“We are in the best stages of the office. The calls for it to be scrapped are very much unnecessary. It is sad that we have to be talking about this now,” she said.
She questioned why Parliament would consider dismantling an institution still evolving, while older institutions with longer histories of underperformance have not faced similar scrutiny.
“The intent and purpose of the law and the office—have they been achieved? Why are we in a hurry?” she asked.
“The Attorney-General’s office has been there for more than 100 years; how many cases have they prosecuted? Perhaps we want quick action and results. We cannot fault Ghanaians for that, but I think we should hasten slowly.”
Background
The OSP was established in 2017 as Ghana’s foremost independent anti-corruption investigative and prosecutorial body, created to target high-profile corruption cases without the political interference often associated with the Attorney-General’s office.
The debate over its future now reignites long-standing questions about political will, institutional independence, and the country’s commitment to fighting corruption.
