An old video of Assin Central Member of Parliament, Ken Agyapong making predictions about the Office of the Special Prosecutor has surfaced following the recent public expression of frustration by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng.
In the said video, the maverick politician who was making an appearance on Net 2 TV, predicted that Agyebeng will fail in his mandate due to the pervasiveness of corruption within the ruling party, specifically in the area of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).
“You are going to appoint a Special Prosecutor, you see when I point out a finger the remaining four points back at you, NPP. You will not able to prosecute anyone. I am speaking in parables to you,” he stated.
“There are greedy bastards in galamsey. NPP people are greedy bastards when it comes to galamsey,” he added.
Coming into office in 2017, the current New Patriotic Party government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo campaigned heavily on corruption and the fight against such activities.
One major campaign promise of the NPP in opposition was the setting up of a Special Prosecutor’s Office to investigate and prosecute people for corruption and corruption-related offences.
However, on assuming office, President Akufo-Addo’s first appointee to head the office, Martin Amidu who is a former Attorney-General resigned in November 2020 citing interference in his work by the president.
The president who denied Mr Amidu’s claims subsequently appointed Kissi Agyebeng, a private legal practitioner to head the OSP.
But addressing a press conference on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, Mr Agyebeng expressed concerns over what he said is an increasing trend of dismissive rulings in corruption cases he was pursuing.
He further warned that such trend could lead to dire consequences for Ghana’s anti-corruption fight.
“Indeed I have had several calls from well-meaning lawyers admonishing me that they have heard talk that our friends who have been elevated to the bench and presiding over cases in court do not take very kindly to criticism, especially of the public calling out variety as we do.
“And that if the office persists in the media releases, the judges will gang up against the office and throw out all our cases. Mind you, members of the press, collective admonishing is from very senior and experienced lawyers who are members of the law. Members of the press, my learning of the law for the past 25 years in three different jurisdictions, my teaching and training of lawyers and law students for the past 17 years, my 20-year record at the bar all bear testimony that I will be the last person to lead an institution to attack the judiciary.
“It will be absolutely of no good should it be the case that the OSP is set against the judiciary or that the judiciary is against the OSP. That will surely spell disastrous consequences for this republic, especially in the fight against corruption to the glee of corrupt persons.”
Mr Agyebeng added “I do not intend to sound as though I’m predicting doom but we are facing doom. With this development, it will not be long, [before] a suspected murderer or armed robber will boldly walk to court with the unthinkable prayer that the court should injunct law enforcement agencies from investigating him.”
