Kissi Agyebeng, Special Prosecutor, has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and anti-corruption advocates to protect the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

He called on stakeholders to work diligently and without hesitation to sustain the Office, cautioning that attempts by some citizens to scrap the institution had not ceased and could resurface at any time.

Mr. Agyebeng made the call at a National Dialogue on the Office of the Special Prosecutor, organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in Accra.

The dialogue formed part of a broader initiative to strengthen accountability institutions and enhance citizen engagement in anti-corruption reforms in Ghana.

It aims to deepen stakeholder understanding of the OSP framework, identify gaps within the existing legal regime, and build consensus around necessary reforms.

Participants included a wide spectrum of stakeholders-CSOs, policymakers, development partners, professional bodies, media practitioners, influencers, opinion leaders, traditional authorities, and representatives of youth and women groups.

It was convened to foster constructive dialogue, strengthen collaboration, and develop actionable recommendations to enhance the OSP’s effectiveness, independence, and operational impact.

Mr. Agyebeng noted that more than 50 per cent of CSOs continued to express trust and support for the Office despite its challenges and stressed the need for citizens to help build an institution capable of standing the test of time.

Reflecting on 2025, he described it as both the Office’s best year of performance and its most challenging period in terms of institutional survival.

“Had it not been the good-naturedness of the President, the Office would have been scrapped by the end of December 2025 in Parliament,” he said.

Mr. Agyebeng further stated: “Ask yourself, why? It is because politicians do not want us around. It is that simple. And why do they not want us around? Because we are bad news for politicians.”

Dr Kojo Asante, Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at CDD, said findings since the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in 2004 indicated that the Attorney-General, as a Cabinet member, faced limitations in prosecuting colleagues within government.

“Most of the work the Attorney Generals did were prosecute public officials of previous government if you take cases like Quality Grain, Ghana@50 and SML deal amongst others except the cases involving late Mallam Issah and Abuga Pele,” he said.

Dr Asante stressed the need for a well-functioning independent anti-corruption agency, noting that the establishment of the OSP in 2018 addressed longstanding concerns about prosecuting politically exposed persons.

“What’s needed is to strengthen the OSP, tighten the appointment and removal processes to make sure that the Special Prosecutor is truly independent,” he said.

Mrs. Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Team Lead for Governance and Stability at Adam Smith International, also urged government to constitute the OSP Board to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.