Okudzeto says OSP has failed to fight corruption and should be scrapped

Former Ghana Bar Association president Sam Okudzeto has criticised the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), saying it has failed to achieve its intended purpose and questioning whether the institution should have existed at all.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on December 8, Mr Okudzeto said corruption remains rampant across public institutions, indicating that the OSP has made little impact since its establishment.

He argued that the office has not delivered the results Ghanaians expected. “The question is simply this: why was the institution set up? Has it achieved its purpose?” he asked.

When host Evans Mensah pressed for an answer, Mr Okudzeto said, “I don’t think so. Corruption is still rampant. You see it every day. People demand money even after paying fees, and they are no longer afraid.”

On whether scrapping the OSP would help, he insisted the office duplicates the mandate of existing institutions, particularly the Attorney-General’s Department, which already has a Director of Public Prosecutions responsible for prosecuting corruption and other criminal offences.

“There is nothing that makes corruption different from other crimes. Why create another institution to do the same job?” he asked.

He further criticised Ghana’s approach of turning the special prosecutor role into a standalone institution. “In other countries, a special prosecutor is appointed to handle a specific problem, not to build an entire institution around the individual. Creating an institution for one person without proper preparation is dangerous,” Mr Okudzeto said.

He also agreed with calls to scrap the OSP and strengthen the Attorney-General’s Department instead. “That is what should have been done. Building institutions around individuals without training them properly is very risky,” he warned.