Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has said the performance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) should not be measured by political applause, social media reactions or the preferences of people affected by its work.

He said the performance of the anti-corruption agency should instead be assessed through measurable results, including investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, public funds saved and reforms introduced to prevent corruption.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, August 26, Mr Agyebeng said the OSP’s record should not be determined by political reactions, social media commentary or the views of people who have been affected by its work.

“The performance of the OSP should not be measured by political applause, social media volume, the preferences of persons affected by its work, or the preferences of those who dislike the institution and its offices out of sheer ill will,” he said.

According to him, there were indicators that could be used to determine whether the OSP was performing its mandate.

“It should be gauged by investigations undertaken, persons prosecuted, assets recovered, losses prevented, systems corrected, public funds saved, and steps taken to prevent corruption,” Mr Agyebeng said.

He challenged those who believe the OSP had not performed to examine the institution’s statistics and compare them with what they consider a better alternative.

“So when it is said that the OSP has not performed, the answer is straightforward. Check the statistics and benchmark them against your preferred alternative,” he said.

Mr Agyebeng also urged critics to acknowledge the performance of the OSP’s Digital and Cybercrime Investigation and Asset Recovery (DAICA) operations, even where they disagreed with the institution’s work.

“That is to say, no matter how much you disapprove of the DAICA, acknowledge its notable speed and swiftness,” he said.

The Special Prosecutor then pointed to specific interventions by the OSP which, he said, had produced measurable results for the state.

He cited the OSP’s work in the customs sector, saying it had contributed to changes in the way seized or unclaimed goods were auctioned and reduced the use of the customs advance ruling regime.

“The OSP's intervention in the customs sector has led to a reimagination and institution of a more robust auction of item system and a huge reduction in the often abused customs advanced ruling regime in aid of the recouping of more revenue,” he said.

He said the changes were aimed at helping the state recover more revenue and addressing areas of the customs system that had been vulnerable to abuse.

Mr Agyebeng also highlighted the OSP’s intervention in the government payroll system, saying it had resulted in significant savings for the state.

“The OSP's shake-up of the government payroll system has saved the nation a little over GH₵100 million so far,” he said.

He further argued that the savings generated by the OSP exceeded the resources provided to establish and operate the institution.

“The OSP has saved the nation more than 20-fold the total amount of money released to its establishment, and it has thereby fully paid for and far above the resources invested in it,” he said.

According to him, the OSP’s enforcement activities had also made corruption more costly for people in both the public and private sectors.

“No person, whether in the public or private space, now engages in corruption lightly. This is because such acts have become costly as a result of the operations of the OSP,” Mr Agyebeng said.

The Special Prosecutor said that the impact of the OSP could be demonstrated through outcomes that could be verified.

“These are measurable outcomes. These are verifiable outcomes,” he said.

“Criticism is legitimate. Scrutiny is necessary. However, they must be based on facts and not on business dismissiveness,” he added.