The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has clarified that the individual at the centre of its recent dispute, lawyer Martin Kpebu, has not been formally charged, despite being arrested and notified of the offence under investigation.

Director of Strategy, Research and Communications at the OSP, Sammy Darko, offered the clarification on Joy News, stressing that the suspect has only been informed of the offence and had his statement taken.

Darko explained that the arrest was based on obstruction of justice, an offence captured under Section 69 of the OSP Act, but emphasised that this does not amount to a formal court charge.

“He has been arrested on the offence of obstruction of justice… What we mean is that he has been formally notified of the offence for which he is being investigated,” he said.

“We have not charged him with placing him before a court of law. His statement has been taken, but he has not been placed before the court.”

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) pushed back against accusations by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu that the institution is “investigating itself”, describing the claim as a deliberate falsehood intended to mislead the public and undermine ongoing inquiries.

In a detailed account issued by its Director of Strategy, Research and Communication, Sammy Darko, the OSP insisted that the processes currently underway follow standard institutional practice and are not the self-serving manoeuvres Mr Kpebu has suggested. 

The response came a day after officers arrested the lawyer for alleged obstruction during a confrontation at the entrance of the OSP headquarters.

The OSP maintains that its processes remain within the law and that notifying a suspect of the offence under investigation does not constitute a formal charge until the matter is filed in court.