Former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Sam Okudzeto, has delivered a scathing assessment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing that corruption remains pervasive in Ghana because the institution has failed to fulfil the mandate for which it was created.

Speaking on PM Express, the respected lawyer said the OSP has “missed its mission” and should never have been established in the first place.

According to him, corruption remains an everyday reality in public institutions, with officials openly demanding money for services citizens have already paid for—an indication that the OSP has not made any meaningful difference.

“Why was the institution set up? Has it achieved its purpose? I don’t think so,”
Mr Okudzeto stated.
“Everywhere you turn, in every institution, you see corruption openly. People are not even afraid anymore.”

‘OSP duplicates existing mandates’

Asked whether scrapping the OSP would help address the problem, Mr Okudzeto insisted the office was unnecessary from inception because Ghana already has state bodies empowered to prosecute corruption.

He explained that the Attorney-General’s Department, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, already has the authority to prosecute criminal offences, including corruption, making the OSP redundant.

“There is nothing that makes corruption different from any other crime,” he argued.
“Why create another institution to do the same job?”

‘Ghana misunderstood the Special Prosecutor concept’

Mr Okudzeto further criticised Ghana’s model of creating a standalone institution around the Special Prosecutor, arguing that internationally, special prosecutors are appointed temporarily to tackle specific cases—not to head an entire institution.

He cited examples from the UK and Ghana’s own history, noting that individuals like Justice D. F. Annan and former UK Prime Ministers served as Directors of Public Prosecutions, not heads of wholly separate anti-corruption agencies.

“In other jurisdictions, a special prosecutor is appointed to handle a specific issue.
You don’t build a whole institution around one individual,” he said.

Strengthen the Attorney-General instead

The seasoned lawyer endorsed calls for the OSP to be scrapped and for the Attorney-General’s Department to be strengthened instead. He warned that creating institutions around individuals without ensuring proper systems, training, and structures is dangerous for governance.

“When you don’t train people to do a job, and you think creating an institution around an individual will solve the problem, it is very dangerous,” he cautioned.

His comments add to a renewed national debate over the effectiveness, relevance, and future of the OSP, especially amid ongoing public concern about corruption and accountability.