The Workplace of the Particular Prosecutor (OSP) has recorded its first convictions since its creation in 2018 beneath the Workplace of the Particular Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
After years of criticism for failing to ship outcomes, regardless of receiving over GH¢1 billion in finances allocations since inception, the OSP has now secured seven convictions. All have been obtained by way of plea bargains.
The workplace was allotted GH¢146 million within the 2025 finances, however it stays early within the yr, and it’s unclear whether or not that quantity will probably be totally disbursed.
It is usually unsure whether or not the cumulative GH¢1 billion authorised since 2018 was ever totally launched by the Ministry of Finance.
Nonetheless, the convictions mark a milestone.
Six convictions concerned payroll fraud uncovered within the Northern Area. The seventh pertains to the trial of Charles Bissue, former secretary of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Unlawful Mining. The second accused in that case has been convicted and is reportedly cooperating with prosecutors within the ongoing proceedings towards Mr Bissue.
The OSP has been noticeably extra lively within the first half of 2025. It’s presently investigating a number of high-profile circumstances, together with former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, the controversial GRA–SML income assurance contract linked to former GRA Commissioner Rev Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and the previous NPA Chief Govt Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid.
The investigation into Charles Bissue can be ongoing.
These headline circumstances kind a part of a broader enlargement. Within the first half of 2025 alone, the OSP has opened 70 new investigations. This marks a pointy enhance from earlier years.
The workplace initiated solely two circumstances every in 2020 and 2021. That determine rose to 13 in 2022, 19 in 2023, and 27 in 2024. The present surge brings the cumulative whole to a minimum of 133 circumstances for the reason that OSP started operations.
The rise in enforcement exercise comes at a time when Ghana’s Corruption Perceptions Index, measured by Transparency Worldwide, has proven little progress. After holding at a rating of 43 for 4 years, Ghana fell to 42 in 2024.
The index runs from 0 to 100, with greater scores indicating decrease perceived corruption. Ghana’s highest-ever rating was 48 in 2014. The development since then has been downward.
The OSP’s current convictions are a step ahead. The workplace has additionally recovered over GH¢4 million for the state. However for a lot of Ghanaians, these early outcomes won’t be sufficient.
With no conviction involving a high political determine, the general public is unlikely to be satisfied. For now, the OSP has proven that it could possibly convey circumstances to a conclusion. The subsequent problem is proving that it could possibly maintain the highly effective to account.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Feedback, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform don’t essentially signify the views or coverage of Multimedia Group Restricted.
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