The Director of Communications, Research and Strategy at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Sammy Darko, has highlighted how the institution’s preventive mandate has saved Ghana millions of cedis by stopping potentially harmful deals and exposing corruption risks before they materialised.

According to Mr Darko, one of the most notable interventions was the OSP’s role in raising red flags over the Agyapa Royalties transaction.

He said the OSP’s early assessment identified serious corruption risks in the deal, leading to its suspension and ultimately protecting the state from long-term financial losses.

“Those concerns stopped a bad deal that could have cost the country far more in the long run. That money stayed with Ghana, not private interests,” he stated.

Mr Darko also pointed to the planned sale of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) as another example of the OSP’s preventive impact.

He explained that the Office flagged corruption risks in a proposed partnership arrangement, which subsequently did not go through.

“Without that intervention, a key state asset would likely have been lost,” he noted, stressing that prevention remains cheaper and more effective than prosecution after the fact.

Additionally, Mr Darko said the OSP has helped plug financial leakages by uncovering ghost names on public payrolls, even under systems that included Ghana Card verification.

He explained that these were individuals who were being paid despite not existing or no longer being in active service.

“Removing them stopped steady leaks of public funds,” he said, adding that such actions underscore the importance of the OSP’s preventive powers in safeguarding public resources.