Petition seeks removal of Special Prosecutor over alleged incompetence and mismanagement

A petition has been submitted to President John Dramani Mahama calling for the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng, citing alleged incompetence, financial mismanagement, and a lack of tangible results after four years in office.

The petition, dated October 20, 2025, was filed by Simon Yaw Awadzi, Executive Chairman of the Coalition for Integrity in Governance (COFIIG). It argues that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has failed to justify the billions of cedis allocated to it, alleging poor accountability and persistent institutional conflict.

According to the petition, there are no publicly available audited financial statements accounting for an estimated GHS 364 million budgeted for the OSP between 2021 and 2024. It further claims the office has recorded no major convictions or significant asset recoveries, describing this as evidence of administrative weakness and ineffectiveness.

The petitioner is urging Mr Agyabeng to step aside to allow an independent forensic audit, grounding the call in Section 15 of the OSP Act, 2017 (Act 959), which permits removal for stated misbehaviour or incompetence.

Additional allegations include claims that the Special Prosecutor withheld investigative dockets from the Attorney-General, delaying processes such as the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, and concerns over potential conflicts of interest linked to his nomination.

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of the OSP, as government has confirmed that petitions against the Special Prosecutor, as well as the Electoral Commission Chair and her deputies, have been forwarded to the Chief Justice for further consideration.