The host of Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom-Otchere, has said the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) feels uncomfortable with the work of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) because it operates independently from political influence.
He argued that the party’s concerns go beyond legal interpretation.
In his view, the real issue is the OSP’s strong enforcement approach in corruption-related cases.
He also referred to ongoing national discussions and court actions involving the OSP’s legal powers.
One of the key matters currently sits before the Supreme Court of Ghana, where petitioners are questioning parts of the office’s legal foundation.
According to Adom-Otchere, the NDC did not challenge the creation or role of the OSP while it was in opposition. He said the party also raised no objections during the vetting of Attorney-General Dominic Ayine.
However, he believes their stance has changed now that they are in government.
“The reason why they are complaining about the OSP now is because of the OSP’s indicative independence to politicians. They saw the OSP do it to NPP, they enjoyed it. They have seen that this OSP is not shifting. He will do it to NDC and they are afraid,” he said.
Recent court developments have added more attention to the issue. A High Court in Accra recently ordered the Attorney-General to take over all criminal prosecutions initiated by the OSP.
The court ruled that the office does not have the legal mandate to prosecute criminal cases.
At the same time, a separate legal case brought by a private citizen, Noah Adamtey, continues to challenge the constitutional basis of the OSP.
The suit argues that the power to prosecute crimes belongs only to the Attorney-General under Article 88 of the Constitution.
The Attorney-General has also raised similar concerns about the limits of the OSP’s authority. As the cases progress, the Supreme Court is expected to clarify how far the OSP’s powers extend and how it should operate alongside the Attorney-General’s office within Ghana’s anti-corruption system.
