One constitution, one prosecutor: the AG moves to shackle the OSP, because real independence is the first thing the powerful try to strike out.
In Adamtey v. Attorney General, the Office of the Attorney General (AG) has filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court asking that parts of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act, 2017 (Act 959) that give the OSP independent prosecutorial powers be thrown out. The AG says these powers violate Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, which says that only the AG has the power to prosecute. The AG says that letting the OSP start prosecutions without its permission makes an unconstitutional “parallel” authority. The plaintiff, Noah Ephraem Tetteh Adamtey, says that the OSP’s independence is not legal. This comes after the Supreme Court turned down the OSP’s request to join the case on January 27, 2026. If the AG wins, the OSP could be greatly limited by having to get permission before prosecuting cases. This could slow down corruption cases and make the office more open to political influence, even though civil society groups say that the OSP needs to be independent to handle cases involving politically exposed people.
