The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has disclosed that his office-Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) – is investigating thirty-one (31) active cases and would in due course commence the prosecution of the cases it considers probatively strong, after it completed a review of all the alleged cases of corruption and corruption-related offences before it.
“The OSP has completed a review of all the alleged cases of corruption and corruption-related offences before it. Currently, the OSP is investigating thirty-one (31) active cases and it will in due course commence the prosecution in the courts of the cases it considers probatively strong. There is no case commenced by the OSP pending in the courts at the moment,” lawyer Kissi Agyebeng stated.
The Special Prosecutor also hinted at a packed-to-capacity press conference at Kempisky Hotel, yesterday, that from January 2022 the OSP would institute, as part of its pressure-for- progress drive, an Annual Ghana Corruption League Table to assess perceived levels of public sector corruption in the estimation of experts and business people. In aid of this, public agencies would be ranked against each other on a corruption barometer and the results would be publicised every 9 December.
He expatiated that “The OSP would also require all public institutions, departments, agencies, and companies to prepare and submit Integrity Plans intended at assessing deficiencies in their regulations, procedures, policies, guidelines, administration instructions and internal control mechanisms to determine their vulnerability and exposure to corrupt practices and the prescription of curative measures to manage such susceptibility to corruption and corruption-related offences. I am setting up internal control mechanisms to prevent corruption at the OSP itself.”
The OSP, Kissi Agyebeng stated, would carry out anti-corruption risk assessment and review of all major public contracts, legislation and draft legislation, in its bid to avoiding toxic deals and the prevalence of judgment debts and arbitral awards.
The Office would also undertake continuous education and information of the public and the publicising of detected acts of corruption, adding that “The OSP would vigorously investigate and prosecute cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences and recover proceeds of such offences through property tracing of tainted property and currency in line with our vision of rendering corruption a costly enterprise.”
Lawyer Kissi Agyebeng however lamented the inadequate funding for the OSP and said that “I look forward to the provision of adequate funding and the necessary material resources as stipulated in Articles 6 and 36 of the Convention to carry out this most challenging and solemn mandate. I cannot help but state that without adequate funding and the provision of the necessary material resources, the good intentions of my staff and I would remain just good intentions with nothing concrete to show for it.”
“As we mark International Anti-Corruption Day and anti-corruption week, I invite all well-meaning Ghanaians to renew our mindsets and collectively help to turn the negative narrative of corruption to transform this Republic and place it on a solid developmental track. On this score, we must draw on the wisdom of hindsight in our pursuit of a fairer society,” the Special Prosecutor intimated.
