Pay Special Prosecutor’s salary arrears before we approve judiciary budget – Parliament to Gov’t

Parliament has suspended the approval of budget estimates for 2023 for the Office of the Special Prosecutor following concerns about the non-payment of 16 months’ salary of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng.

Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, raised concerns about the arrears owed to the Special Prosecutor on Thursday, December 15, 2022, ahead of the presentation of the annual budget estimates report.

“Office of Special Prosecutor, you put that man there you haven’t determined his service condition. He hasn’t been paid. Some appointments have been done, raising questions as to whether the board was aware.

“We have to probe further the happenings at the Special Prosecutor. He hasn’t been paid for 16 months, and you are coming to me for a report. Meanwhile, no report has been laid here,” he said.

He questioned other government appointees who have refused to comment on the matter if they could survive with no salaries.

“Your commitment to fighting corruption begins with independent constitutional bodies like the Special Prosecutor, who has been denied salary. Can any of you live without a salary?” he questioned.

Despite an assurance from the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, that the arrears could be paid within a week, the house refused to approve the GH¢129,000,000 budget estimate.

Mr Iddrisu warned that the government should not lay any report on the judiciary before the house until the Special Prosecutor’s 16 months’ salary arrears are paid.

“Nobody will lay a report in respect of the judiciary here unless we have the formal correspondence from President Nana Akufo-Addo, in accordance with Article 179 of his comments on the budget of the judiciary. Stay away from the budget of the judiciary and Special Prosecutor,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also insisted that the budget estimates will only be approved after concrete evidence from the Committee that the arrears owed to the Special Prosecutor will indeed be paid.