Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor have jointly drafted a private member’s bill seeking to completely repeal the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act, 2017 (Act 959) and abolish the anti-corruption institution.
According to a Joynews report, the draft bill is ready but is yet to be formally introduced on the floor of Parliament.
Meanwhile, contents of the draft bill have since been circulating on social media.
This comes just hours after President John Dramani Mahama, speaking during a courtesy call by the National Peace Council at Jubilee House on Wednesday, defended the continued existence of the OSP.
President Mahama described calls to scrap the office as premature, stressing that the OSP remains the only anti-corruption agency in Ghana with full prosecutorial independence.
“The unique thing about that office is that it is the only anti-corruption agency that has prosecutorial powers to prosecute cases itself without going through the Attorney-General,” he said.
He explained that public perception that the Attorney-General, being a political appointee, might be reluctant to prosecute members of the ruling government makes the OSP’s independence indispensable.
“People believe the Attorney-General will be very reluctant to prosecute his own. But if there is an independent office like the Office of the Special Prosecutor, it won’t matter who you are because they have security of tenure and the prosecutorial authority to act,” President Mahama emphasised.
The two MPs however are yet to publicly speak on the development. However this development comes a few days after the Majority Leader openly called for the scrapping of the OSP.
Commenting on the matter involving the detention of private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu by the OSP on the floor of the House, Ayariga noted that the Attorney-General is better placed to fight corruption in the country when given the needed resources.
Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Dafeamekpor on his part urged the House to invite the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng to the House to explain the reasons behind the recent detentions of individuals invited to assist investigations.
The Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin who was in the chair noted that the behavior of arresting and detaining individuals by the OSP and other security institutions must not be politicised.