The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has defended its handling of the former Public Procurement Authority (PPA) CEO scandal following criticism from the general public, including freelance investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the OSP said the trial, which continued on December 8, 2025, is ongoing, with a pending motion to call an additional witness.

The next sitting has been scheduled for January 20, 2026.

READ ALSO: OSP turning PPA CEO probe into a “foolish case” – Manasseh Azure

The office emphasised that it has dutifully conducted the case since the current Special Prosecutor assumed office and that the trial was redirected following a thorough internal review.

The OSP's update on the case comes shortly after the investigative journalist, whose work unearthed the alleged corruption, Manasseh Azure Awuni, complained about the slow pace of the trial after his work in 2019.

“I cannot give you timelines when this investigation will be done, and if it is done, you will know. The way this is being handled, eventually it is becoming a foolish case,” he said.

Manasseh Azure Awuni had on the Joy Super Morning Show on December 8, expressed frustration over what he described as procedural delays undermining the prosecution’s effectiveness.

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has accused the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) of weakening its own case against former Public Procurement Authority (PPA) boss A.B. Adjei.

He revealed that he withdrew as a witness after growing convinced that the prosecution was not committed to securing justice.

In a detailed statement, he said the OSP notified him on October 8, 2025, about another court hearing scheduled for October 20.

He was required to return as a prosecution witness in the case against the former PPA CEO, who was the subject of his 2019 documentary, “Contracts for Sale.”

According to him, he had already testified for the OSP and was cross-examined from December 2022 to April 2024.

He said, “After almost a year and a half of using my time and resources to help prosecute the case, the OSP dropped all 17 charges against AB Adjei and the one charge against his brother-in-law, Francis Arhin.”

He said the OSP filed eight fresh charges in May 2024. Four were for using public office for private gain. Four were for indirectly influencing a procurement process. But he said restarting the case meant “the case, which had been in court for two years, had to start from scratch.”

Read also:‘I was used as a pawn’ – Manasseh Azure walks away from OSP case after explosive concerns

In its response, the OSP stated, “The OSP has acted and will continue to act in the best interest of the Republic,” highlighting that the office remains committed to ensuring the proper conduct of the trial despite the criticisms.