The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has reaffirmed his plea for the office to get proper fiscal support in its fight against corruption.
The Special Prosecutor bemoaned the fact that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) was still operating without a set budget in a half-yearly report (ending in June 2023).
“We continue to emphasise the need for the State to pay particular attention to the funding needs of the Office,” Mr Agyebeng stated in the report.
He said the Office had proven that with sufficient funding, it was best placed to prevent and reduce the menace of corruption and corruption-related activities.
“It is in our collective interest to build a resilient, independent, and technologically advanced Office of the Special Prosecutor to stay ahead of and effectively repress corruption and corruption-related actors,” he said.
According to the half-year report, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is actively pursuing four criminal cases in court and conducting investigations into nine suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses. Additionally, they have concluded four investigations, with 150 other cases currently at various stages of consideration.
Among the ongoing criminal cases is the Republic versus Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen, Patrick Seidu, and Andrew Kuundaari. These individuals are facing 11 counts of corruption and corruption-related offenses related to procurement.
In another case, the Republic versus Issah Seidu, Mr. Seidu, an official of the National Insurance Commission (NIC), has been charged with failing to comply with a directive to declare his income and property. Mr. Seidu, along with three others, is also under investigation for suspected corruption in the importation of 10,000 bags of rice.
The Republic versus Adjenim Boateng Adjei and another case involves the former Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority and his brother-in-law, who are being tried on procurement issues related to using their public office for profit. Mr. Adjei faces eight counts of using public office for profit and nine counts of influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage. His brother-in-law faces one count of using public office for profit.
The fourth criminal case involves Mr. Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, the President’s nominee for the Chief Executive position of the Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region. He has been charged with 26 counts of corruption in relation to a public election.
Among the investigations that the OSP has concluded is the case involving Mr. Charles Adu Boahen, a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, concerning corruption allegations arising from the investigative piece titled “Galamsey Economy” by Tiger Eye P.I. and journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The OSP has also concluded investigations into allegations of the use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, who served as Secretary to the former Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM). These allegations arose from the investigative documentary titled “Galamsey Fraud Part I” by Tiger Eye P.I. and journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Furthermore, the OSP has completed investigations into allegations of an attempt to bribe members of the majority caucus of Parliament by an unnamed wealthy businessman, as stated in the half-year report. They have also concluded investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses regarding the procurement and award of a contract to Turfsport Ghana Limited by the Gaming Commission of Ghana.