By: Seth Opoku Agyemang- Sunyani
Participants at a regional anti-corruption dialogue in Sunyani have rejected the use of plea bargaining in corruption cases, describing it as ineffective and unable to deter offenders.
The dialogue, organised by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development in collaboration with the Office of the Special Prosecutor, brought together civil society groups, media practitioners, traditional leaders, policymakers, youth groups and development partners.
Discussions at the forum showed strong concern that allowing suspects to negotiate settlements and avoid prison terms weakens justice delivery.
Participants stressed that refunding stolen funds alone is not enough punishment and must be backed by custodial sentences to serve as a real deterrent.
Participants also raised concerns about the centralised operations of the OSP, noting that most of its work is concentrated in Accra despite the widespread nature of corruption across the country.
They called for the establishment of regional offices to improve access, speed up investigations and ensure cases outside the capital receive equal attention.
The method of appointing the Special Prosecutor also came under criticism.
Stakeholders believe the current process could affect the independence of the office and are therefore calling for a transparent, merit-based system with strong safeguards against political influence.
Data presented at the dialogue showed that the OSP has handled several cases, but concerns remain about its overall impact.
A total of 11 cases are under prosecution or have been prosecuted, with 2 acquittals, including 1 case on appeal, while 7 cases are ongoing.
The data also revealed the use of plea bargaining in some cases.
In one instance, six accused persons were convicted and paid a total of GHS 106,319.64, while in another case,
one accused person paid GHS 206,000 after facilitating a GHS 15,000 bribe.
On asset recovery, the OSP has retrieved a total of GHS 35,133,324.59 from various investigations.
Key recoveries include:
GHS 106,319.64 in the Andy Thomas Owusu case in 2025
GHS 200,000.00 in the Yakubu and five others case in 2025
GHS 8,518,233.00 from petroleum product diversion investigations in 2025
GHS 22,380,000.00 from the MIIF gold trading programme investigations in 2025
GHS 2,854,144.80 from payroll investigations in 2024
GHS 1,074,627.15 from the Labianca customs advance ruling case in 2022
Head of Programmes at the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Bright Sowu, who presented the data,⁷ highlighted the achievements of the OSP and indicated that the dialogue forms part of a broader national effort to strengthen accountability systems and improve anti-corruption measures.
Participants agreed that although some progress has been made, Ghana’s fight against corruption requires stronger laws, tougher punishments and a more independent and well-resourced OSP.
They further called for stronger collaboration between citizens, state institutions and policymakers to restore public trust and promote accountability across the country.
