Akwatia MP questions future of OSP after High Court ruling on prosecutorial powers

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) may no longer be needed in the medium term, according to the Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Bernard Bediako, following a High Court ruling that curtails the office’s ability to prosecute cases independently.

The High Court ruled on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, that the Attorney-General’s Department must take over all criminal prosecutions currently handled by the OSP, pending formal authorisation from the Attorney-General. The decision came from a judicial review application filed by Peter Archibold Hyde, one of four individuals under investigation by the anti-corruption body.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, April 18, Mr. Bediako questioned the OSP’s continued relevance under the new legal interpretation.

“In the medium term, I think we don’t need the OSP,” he stated.

However, he urged the OSP to comply with the court’s directive rather than challenge it. “Just go for the authorisation. The Attorney-General cannot say he cannot give you,” he added.

The ruling stems from an ongoing investigation into allegations that several individuals—including Alhaji Seidu of the National Insurance Commission, former presidential office director James Keck Osei, and Customs officers John Abban and Peter Archibold Hyde—conspired to unlawfully seize containers using forged documents and a falsified letter purportedly issued by the Office of the Vice President.

While the High Court affirmed the OSP’s mandate to investigate suspected corruption-related offences, it held that the office lacks the authority to initiate prosecutions without prior approval from the Attorney-General.

The decision has sparked fresh debate over the future of the OSP, which was established to independently tackle high-level corruption.