AG’s ruling paralyzes OSP, three major corruption cases stalled as court strips special prosecutor of independent power.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has had to put off a number of cases because a High Court ruling said that the OSP could not prosecute without first getting permission from the Attorney-General. Three cases were put on hold this week alone because defense lawyers used the ruling to question the OSP’s ability to keep prosecuting. Meanwhile, OSP lawyers told the court that the execution had been stayed. The cases that are affected include those of Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority, who is on trial for allegedly extorting more than GH¢291 million and $323,407.47 from oil marketing companies; Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority; and Ken Ofori-Atta, the former Finance Minister, who has been charged with losing more than GH¢1.4 billion in the Strategic Mobilisation Limited contract. On April 15, Justice John Eugene Nyadu Nyante of the High Court ruled that the OSP does not have the power to prosecute on its own and must do so through the Attorney-General under Article 88 of the Constitution. The OSP, on the other hand, has rejected the ruling and said it will fight it while continuing to prosecute.
