Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, is advocating for widespread support for the Special Prosecutor in his endeavors to combat corruption and related activities in the country.
The Effutu Member of Parliament (MP) stressed that the success of the anti-corruption efforts relies on the collective backing of all Ghanaians.
During his contribution to the parliamentary debate on Tuesday, December 12, regarding the approval of the budget for the Office of the Special Prosecutor for 2024, the legal practitioner and politician encouraged Kissi Agyebeng not to lose hope.
Mr Afenyo-Markin expressed confidence in Ghanaians’ trust in the Special Prosecutor, urging him not to be discouraged by the current challenges he is facing.
“We need to support the Special Prosecutor. This is the first time a government has boldly walked a political talk from the manifesto into bringing an enactment to give it the life that it needs. Let’s encourage the Special Prosecutor to do his work. And Mr. Speaker, as a practitioner in our courts… I would want to encourage the Special Prosecutor never to give up.”
“I would want to encourage the office to strengthen itself with the limited resources that it gets, move through the court system, and get the court to appreciate its work.”
Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s comments come in the wake of the recent expression of concern by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) regarding the increasing trend of dismissive rulings in suspected corruption cases. The OSP fears that this trend might pose a threat to the effective fight against corruption.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, had voiced his apprehension about the “growing hasty dismissiveness and lack of regard” for suspected corruption cases during a media briefing on Wednesday, November 29.
He expressed concerns that such dismissive rulings could significantly hinder the OSP’s ability to fulfill its mandate.
Mr Agyebeng specifically highlighted cases, including the acquittal of Cecilia Dapaah, a former government official, in a suspected corruption case, and the court’s refusal to freeze the estate of the late NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.