Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has criticised the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for what he says is the OSP's slow and unresponsive handling of the investigation into allegations against former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Thursday, he said: “I am not happy because the OSP has been lackadaisical in this investigation. We have seen delays with the SML matter, the National Cathedral case, and others that have been with us for years. Kissi Agyebeng took office in September 2021, yet the National Cathedral issue has been ongoing since 2017 when the government first began allocating funds, which raised many concerns.

"So how come Kissi Agyebeng sat on his hands all these years and now, when Ofori-Atta says he is going for medical treatment, he is suddenly declared wanted? It just does not add up,” he said.

Mr Kpebu added that while interference from former President Akufo-Addo has long been a problem in the work of the OSP, it does not excuse the inaction in the case of Ken Ofori-Atta.

“For the National Cathedral case, much of the evidence was already in the public domain. The NDC fought hard to expose government spending when it was initially said that the project would be private sector-led, but then land was provided and money was pumped in, reaching about 58 million dollars,” he explained.

He questioned why Ofori-Atta was not summoned to answer questions early enough. “Look at the SML matter, it emerged in December 2023. The OSP had the whole of 2024 to take action. With at least 180 new staff joining from September 2023, who had ample time to settle in before the SML case broke, I expected that some would be assigned to these cases. Instead, they waited until after December 2024, and now, when Ofori-Atta claims he has travelled for medical treatment, they suddenly declare him wanted.”

Mr Kpebu cast doubt on Kissi Agyebeng’s managerial abilities, saying that his failure to act appropriately raises important questions about his leadership and undermines the quest to fight corruption.

"Kissi Agyebeng’s managerial abilities come into great questioning. He has serious questions to answer about his managerial abilities."

Watch a discussion on the controversial declaration of Ken Ofori-Atta as a fugitive.