The Minority in Parliament has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of orchestrating a deliberate and sustained campaign to weaken and dismantle the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), describing a recent High Court ruling as the latest step in what it calls a “multi-front assault” on the country’s anti-corruption architecture.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament yesterday, the Deputy Ranking Member for Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Alhassan Tampuli, said the decision by the High Court on April 15, 2026, which stripped the OSP of its prosecutorial powers and nullified its ongoing cases, was not an isolated judicial development but part of a broader political strategy.
According to the caucus, the campaign against the OSP dates back to December 2025, following the detention of private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, after an incident at the OSP’s premises.
The Minority claimed that the incident triggered a chain of actions, including public calls for the removal of Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, and subsequent political moves targeting the office.
Mr. Tampuli, who was flanked by his colleague Members of Parliament (MPs), cited the introduction of a bill in Parliament by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, to repeal the law establishing the OSP as the first major attempt to abolish the anti-corruption office.
Although the bill was later withdrawn following public backlash and directive by President John Dramani Mahama describing such calls as premature, the Minority argued that the agenda persisted through other means.
The caucus further pointed to a series of petitions seeking the removal of the Special Prosecutor, which were ultimately dismissed by the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, for failing to establish a prima facie case.
It described the petitions as a coordinated effort to harass and discredit the anti-corruption office.
Attention was also drawn to a pending case at the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the OSP’s prosecutorial powers.
The Minority criticised the Attorney General for allegedly supporting the suit instead of defending the state institution, calling it an unprecedented breach of constitutional responsibility.
Mr. Tampuli questioned the jurisdiction of the High Court to make determinations that effectively interpret the constitution, insisting that such powers are reserved exclusively for the Supreme Court.
“The sequence of events is not coincidental; it is a calculated campaign,” the Minority said, urging the OSP to immediately appeal the ruling and seek a stay of execution.
The caucus also called for the swift determination of the Supreme Court case, demanded that the Attorney General be summoned before Parliament, and urged President Mahama to clearly state his position on the future of the OSP.
The Minority maintained that weakening the OSP would undermine Ghana’s fight against corruption, insisting that the independence of the institution must be protected to ensure accountability in public office.
Mr. Tampuli explained that the OSP was created because the nation recognised a fundamental truth that “you cannot rely on a government to prosecute itself.”
“It was created because the Attorney General, however distinguished, serves at the pleasure of the President. It was created because history has shown, repeatedly and painfully, that corruption in Ghana’s public life festers most vigorously when those who hold power are also those who decide whether to prosecute it,” he intimated.
