The Special Prosecutor (SP), Kissi Agyebeng, wants Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to secure the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) from attempts by politicians to scrap it.
According to him, the survival of the anti-graft office scares politicians and would not relent in weakening its mandate to render it unproductive.
Speaking at a national dialogue on the OSP on Tuesday, 31 March, 2026 Kissi Agyebeng indicated that the OSP has been a target for enemies of the fight against corruption, who have resolved to weaken the office.
The Special Prosecutor remarked that at the moment, the OSP is alive because of the directive of the President, John Dramani Mahama, who directed his side in Parliament not to pursue the move to scrap the office.
In 2025, less than a year in office, the National Democratic Congress’ Members of Parliament, led by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, commenced processes to have the OSP scrapped by Parliament.
It took the swift intervention of President Mahama, who torpedoed the move, saving the OSP to continue its work.
This situation, Kissi Agyebeng feared, was not healthy for the survival of the anti-corruption office, as the survival of OSP should not be at the discretion of any president.
He insisted that the fight for survival should concern the CSOs and not be left in the hands of a president or officers of the OSP.
“You recall what happened in 2025. Incidentally, it was our best year of performance; at the same time, it was our worst year of existential troubles. Why should Kissi and a few officers in the Office of the Special Prosecutor be the ones always fighting existential battles just to keep this office running?
“Had it not been for the good nature of the president, the office [of the special prosecutor] would have been scrapped by the end of December 2025 in Parliament,” he said.
The SP continued, “Ask yourself, why? It is because politicians don’t want us [anti-corruption agencies] around. It is that simple. And why do they not want us around? Because we are bad news for politicians and that is why civil society should keep it afloat.”
ATTEMPT
According to him, the attempt to scrap the OSP last year is “not dead, it is not dead, it is alive,” and he charged the CSOs to help in building “this institution for the ages, an institution which stands the test of time.”
He has opined that the existence of the OSP should not depend on the fact that the president wants it to operate.
He said “Secure it, bound it up,” stating that there is an opportunity with the Constitution Review process to register the OSP in the constitution of the state.
He anticipates an OSP with constitutional guarantees, as well as strong support from the public and CSOs, to make it difficult for politicians to undermine the office.
“Let it be stamped in, so that the next Special Prosecutor will not spend so much of his time fighting for the survival of the office, fighting for the survival of his position,” he noted.
SUPPORT
The SP, Kissi Agyebeng, further remarked that the majority of Ghanaians were in support of the creation of an independent anti-graft body, which is different from the Attorney General.
He indicated that whereas 70% of Ghanaians wanted an independent body to fight corruption, more than 50% had confidence in the OSP to lead that fight more than any other institution.
“More than 70% of the populace wanted an independent institution to fight corruption, separate from the Attorney-General’s office.
“More than 50% trust the Office of the Special Prosecutor more than any other institution in this fight. With this, my job is done,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the SP, Kissi Agyebeng, said he has “started counting my days as Special Prosecutor.”
However, when he looks back as a former special prosecutor, he wants to be proud of civil society for preserving the office. “Do not let it die,” he urged the CSOs.
The Director of Public Engagement and Partnerships at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kojo Pumpuni Asante, who spoke at the forum, raised concerns about what he described as political inconsistency.
He noted that while political parties often advocate for independent anti-corruption mechanisms during elections, they tend to undermine such institutions when in power.
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