OSP advocates for centralised law enforcement platform to tackle corruption

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has called for the establishment of a centralised platform for Law Enforcement Agencies to facilitate the investigation of corruption and related offences.

This platform, according to the OSP, would enable timely access to information about individuals or organizations under investigation.

Speaking at a conference to assess Ghana’s Beneficiary Ownership regime after eight years of implementation, Director of Strategy, Research and Communications at the OSP, Samuel Appiah Darko, emphasised the need to eliminate barriers impeding the fight against corruption.

He highlighted the importance of a common platform for Law Enforcement Agencies, which would allow investigators to quickly verify information while sitting in their office.

The proposed platform would enable investigators to request information with a click of a button, eliminating the need for formal requests through letters.

According to him, this would be especially useful in situations where investigators need to keep their identity hidden, as they may not want to alert the subject of their investigation.

Darko cited an example of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), which provides a platform for investigators to request information anonymously.

He noted that while investigators can request information directly from banks, using FIC provides an additional layer of anonymity.

The OSP believes that a centralised platform would significantly enhance the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases, allowing for more effective use of resources and improved coordination among law enforcement agencies.

“The other one has to do with what many of us have been calling for a common platform for Law Enforcement Agencies. When we see a common platform, we are looking at the situation where we are able to have access to your system and do a quick verification whilst we are sitting in our office.

“As I said, if we are already backed by law to demand information, then it should be easier for ORC to put us on a common platform where we can easily request information with a click of a button in our office without me having to now send a formal request through a letter. I think that would be very, very essential.