Former Ghana Bar Association (GBA) President, Sam Okudzeto, has called for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing that the institution has failed to justify its existence.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on December 8, Mr Okudzeto questioned the foundational purpose of the OSP and whether it has lived up to the mandate for which it was created.
According to him, the country must honestly ask whether the institution has achieved its objectives. When host Evans Mensah asked for his assessment, Mr Okudzeto responded bluntly: he does not believe it has.
He argued that corruption remains widespread and openly practised across public institutions, suggesting that the presence of the OSP has not deterred wrongdoing.
“Corruption is still going on. I see it every day. Everywhere you turn in every institution, you see it openly. People are no longer even afraid. You go there and they demand money from you to do what you’ve already paid for,” he said.
Pressed on whether dissolving the OSP was the solution, Mr Okudzeto said the office has outlived its usefulness and is duplicating functions already assigned to existing state institutions.
He pointed out that the Attorney-General’s Department already has a clear prosecutorial structure, with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) mandated to prosecute all criminal offences, including corruption-related crimes.
“There is nothing that makes corruption different from any other crime. The Director of Public Prosecutions is there to handle such matters. So why create another institution to do the same job?” he questioned.
Responding to claims that the OSP was designed as a special-purpose body to combat corruption, Mr Okudzeto maintained that Ghana misunderstood the concept.
He explained that in other jurisdictions, special prosecutors are appointed temporarily to resolve specific problems, not to form permanent institutions built around a single individual.
“You don’t create an entire institution around one person. If you like, go and search—where else do we have such an institution?” he asked.
To support his argument, Mr Okudzeto cited international examples, noting that prominent figures such as former UK Prime Minister and Justice D. F. Annan—former Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament—once served as Directors of Public Prosecutions.
He reiterated his belief that strengthening the Attorney-General’s Department would have been a more effective approach.
“That is what should have been done,” he said.
Mr Okudzeto further suggested that the creation of the OSP was driven by frustration over rising corruption, but warned against reacting by establishing institutions without proper foundations.
“You appoint an individual and then try to create an institution around that person. What is the background? What is the training?” he questioned.
He cautioned that such an approach is dangerous and ineffective, stressing that corruption cannot be fought simply by creating new institutions without building capacity and accountability.
Mr Okudzeto concluded by emphasising that Ghana already has the necessary legal structures to prosecute corruption and should focus on strengthening existing systems rather than maintaining parallel institutions that produce limited results.
