Asiedu Nketia Calls for the Dissolution of the Special Prosecutor’s Office
Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Asiedu Nketia, has reiterated his stance that Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) should be abolished. He believes the country would be better served by appointing a career Attorney General with the authority to independently investigate and prosecute corruption cases.
A Flawed System?
Speaking on Accra-based Radio Gold, Nketia explained that he had previously advised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo against establishing the OSP, arguing that it would become ineffective. He expressed disappointment that his warnings were ignored, claiming that the office has now turned into a "toothless bulldog."
"I have been very consistent that the OSP won’t be beneficial to us as a country. You see that they are making noise about Ken Ofori-Atta, but with time it will just die out. If the Attorney General does not pursue this case, it will just turn out to be one of those cases."
The Need for an Independent Attorney General
Nketia argues that the Attorney General’s Office should be separated from the Ministry of Justice, allowing a non-political career prosecutor to handle corruption cases without political interference.
"What I suggest is that we should separate the Attorney General’s Office from the office of the Minister of Justice so that we look for a career Attorney General so that he can prosecute. So if you’re in government and you go against the law, you can be prosecuted; if you’re in opposition and you go contrary to the law, you will be arrested. This will mean he has the authority to do it."
According to him, the current system makes it difficult for an Attorney General, who also serves as a cabinet minister, to prosecute colleagues involved in corruption or financial misconduct.
A Call for Constitutional Reforms
Nketia further criticized President Akufo-Addo, alleging that he deliberately avoided constitutional amendments that would have strengthened anti-corruption measures.
"From the beginning, I told Nana Akufo-Addo that if he wants to fight corruption, he should amend that part of the constitution. If he had done that…he knew that he would have been arrested and would not finish his tenure of office, which is why he refused to do it."
He emphasized that the NDC is committed to amending the constitution to ensure that corruption cases are fairly prosecuted, regardless of political affiliation.
As debates continue, the question remains: Should Ghana replace the Special Prosecutor’s Office with a more independent Attorney General, or is reforming the existing structure the better solution?
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