Suame MP, John Darko, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of seeking to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to protect its members from independent investigations.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, December 13, he said the push to scrap the OSP is motivated by the fact that the anti-corruption office is now looking into cases involving NDC officials.
“What we must discuss is what is on the table… is that the NDC wants to scrap this office, and the reason they want to scrap it is that now they’ve seen that the Special Prosecutor is done with all the NPP cases. Now it’s up to them,” he stated.
He argued that the NDC had previously praised the Special Prosecutor but is now attempting to weaken the office as investigations turn toward its members. “He started with only one NDC member, and now they want to scrap the office,” he added.
The member of Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament further warned that scrapping the OSP would effectively transfer prosecutorial power to the Attorney General, who is a government appointee.
“The Attorney General cannot prosecute their own members. Just as the Attorney General has withdrawn cases against NDC appointees — some of them the very next day they were appointed — this is why they are running away from accountability,” he added.
The comments come amid controversy over a Private Members’ Bill introduced by the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, seeking to abolish the OSP. The bill argues that the office has faced structural and operational challenges, including duplication of functions with the Attorney General’s Department.
However, critics, including Darko and civil society actors, argue that the move threatens independent accountability and risks politicising anti-corruption efforts in Ghana.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has requested the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, to suspend their move to introduce a Private Members’ Bill seeking to abolish the OSP.