Scrapping the OSP won’t be in the interest of any political party – Inusah Fuseini
Former Chairman of Parliament’s Legal and Constitutional Committee, Inusah Fusieni, says attempts by critics to downplay the importance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in the fight against corruption are baseless.
According to him, discussion about whether the office benefits the State should not even come up.
He observed that the OSP has a unique mandate of fighting corruption and corruption-related offences.
In an interview, he explains that the office is relatively new and learning from various cases tackled. He adds that if enough room is allowed for the office to operate, it will be highly beneficial.
“We are learning a useful lesson from Martin Amidu. We are learning a useful lesson from Kissi Agyebeng, and I think that somehow we have come to accept that the office has been weaponised. I don’t think it will be in the interest of any political party to scrap that office,” he said on December 12, 2023.
Mr Fuseini added that although both past and present special prosecutors have not successfully prosecuted anyone, the mere fact the office exists can make people refrain from corrupt practices.
“Clearly, people know that the office exists, and even if they are not having prosecution, the fact that you can be sent to the Special Prosecutor’s office is enough deterrence, and the periodic information given to the public on the number of cases being handled by the Special Prosecutor also goes some way in dealing with the issue of corruption,” he added.
The former MP for Tamale Central said the main concern should be adopting ways to empower the office and make it more effective and fit for purpose.
Reacting to the criticisms about the OSP’s inability to prosecute a single case since its establishment successfully, he said that was not good enough considering the amount invested in creating the office.
“The fact that we have not convicted even a single soul under that office of the special prosecutor is enough to worry,” he said on Joy News, which was monitored by the Ghana Report.
However, during parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, December 12, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, asserted that the law establishing the OSP was an act of futility.
Speaking during the consideration of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, he stressed that the office will not achieve any results in the fight against corruption.