Private legal practitioner Victoria Bright says the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) now suffers a credibility gap that is undermining its ability to lead the country’s anti-corruption fight.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 22, during a discussion on the OSP’s charges against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and others, Ms Bright said the public no longer sees the institution as trustworthy.
“There is now a credibility deficit at the OSP, and they have to work hard. They really have to work hard to repair that deficit, because it’s widening.”
She explained that this deepening public doubt has made the OSP’s work “increasingly uncomfortable” and “difficult.” “The public, for a long time, has made it clear that they feel that it has a legitimacy and a credibility issue.”
According to her, although the OSP started with overwhelming public goodwill, that confidence has eroded significantly. “You could see that that whole thing has turned into a bit of a credibility deficit,” she said.
Ms Bright said that many ordinary Ghanaians see the cases before the OSP as issues involving huge sums of public money and expect decisive action. “To normal Ghanaians, their money has allegedly been stolen. They want their money back,” she said.
She reminded the public that the OSP was established to help recover funds and prosecute individuals found culpable. Referring to the amounts involved.
“Over 1.4 billion? At stake. It’s a lot of money. People starving. There are people dying in hospitals… So it’s an anti-corruption fight, and the state of corruption in this country has been shocking, nothing short of shocking.”
She said she remains hopeful, but she warned that without repairing its credibility, the OSP cannot effectively lead the national fight against corruption.
“I am someone who looks at the glass half full, so I like to think that things will change. Without that, how do you actually present yourself as the czar fighting this thing?… For everyone to be on board, you need to be seen as a credible fighter against this canker that is engulfing and killing Ghana.”
She cautioned that if the OSP fails to act quickly, it risks losing all relevance. “And so when you see that credibility is weakening or it’s creating a gap or a deficit, you have to quickly move to repair it. Because if you don’t, then the office becomes toothless.”