The High Court in Accra has adjourned the hearing of an application filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) seeking a stay of execution of an earlier court ruling relating to the OSP’s prosecutorial authority.

The case, which was scheduled to be heard on Thursday before Justice John Eugene Nyante Nyadu, could not proceed after the court was informed that lawyers for the respondent were unable to attend proceedings.

The court indicated that it had received correspondence from the respondent’s legal team proposing alternative dates for the hearing, including 28 May, 29 May and 8 June 2026.

Justice Nyadu subsequently fixed 8 June 2026 as the new date for the hearing of the application.

As a result, the OSP’s application for stay of execution has been adjourned to that date.

Background

A month ago, an Accra High Court ruled that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) lacks independent authority to prosecute criminal cases, directing that all matters initiated by the anti-corruption body be referred to the Attorney-General’s Department.

The decision, delivered on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, has created uncertainty about ongoing prosecutions handled by the OSP, effectively placing them in abeyance pending further legal direction.

Presiding judge, Justice John Eugene Nyadu Nyante, held that although the OSP is empowered to investigate corruption-related offences, it lacks the constitutional mandate to independently initiate prosecutions.

The court based its ruling on Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, which vests prosecutorial authority in the Attorney-General.