Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Searchlight, Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie, has formally petitioned President Akufo-Addo to remove Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng from office, alleging severe misconduct and violations of both his official oaths and confidentiality obligations.
In a letter dated October 18, 2024, Mr Kuranchie argued that Agyebeng’s actions meet the criteria for dismissal under Section 15.(1) of the Special Prosecutor Act (Act 959), which outlines the conditions under which the Special Prosecutor may be removed.
“Petitioner presents this petition for the removal of the Special Prosecutor, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, on the authority of Section 15. (1) of the Special Prosecutor Act, (Act 959) of 2017,” noting that grounds for removal include “stated misbehaviour, incompetence, incapacity…willful violation of the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy.”
Among his claims, Kuranchie asserts that Agyebeng ordered polygraph tests for about 80% of the Office’s personnel, conducted not by Ghana’s National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) but by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“Petitioner states, first, that this work was not done by the N.I.B, and second, this work was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), an agency of the government of the United States of America, a foreign nation,” Mr Kuranchie asserted.
Mr Kuranchie contends that such actions also represent a “willful violation of the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy” and pose potential threats to national security and economic interests.
Mr Kuranchie insists that these alleged infractions render Agyebeng unfit for his role, urging the President to act in accordance with Section 15.(1)(a) of Act 959.
In response, President Akufo-Addo has forwarded the petition to the Chief Justice for preliminary examination.
This appeal follows a Supreme Court decision in July 2024 dismissing a separate lawsuit filed by Mr Kuranchie, which aimed to challenge the constitutionality of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
That lawsuit contended that the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 957) conflicted with various provisions of the 1992 Constitution. Kuranchie had previously withdrawn a similar suit last year but has recently renewed his efforts, seeking a constitutional review of the OSP’s mandate.