Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng appears to be concerned about Ghana’s collective readiness to tackle corruption.

He attributed this to public attitudes and resistance that undermine the fight against graft.

Mr Agyebeng said this at the Constitution Day Public Lecture, themed “A Few Good Men: Suppressing and Repressing Corruption and State Capture in Aid of Development.”

He highlighted the stark contradictions in how Ghanaians respond to anti-corruption measures.

While acknowledging that many Ghanaians recognise the need to combat corruption, Mr Agyebeng lamented that some factions actively work to discredit and weaken the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

He noted that efforts to undermine the OSP often come from individuals under investigation or prosecution, as well as their associates.

“There have been attempts to discredit the principles of the office and its officers, met with formidable resistance and pushback. Often, these attacks come from those at the short end of investigation or prosecution, and their associates,” Mr Agyebeng stated.

He sees the situation as a “curious cycle,” where the public criticises the OSP both for taking action and for perceived inaction.

“There is an outcry when the OSP acts and an outcry when it is seen as not acting. It is as if we do not know what we want. The situation in Ghana now appears to be like ‘we must fight corruption, but we must not fight corruption.’ That is our current state,” he added.

Mr Agyebeng emphasised that this contradiction poses a significant challenge to the OSP’s mandate, with some even calling for the dissolution of the office.

"Though the nation collectively acknowledges that we must fight corruption, there is also a section that believes the flagship agency designed to fight corruption, even if imperfectly, is not needed and should be disbanded," he said.