Ghanaian legal practitioner Ace Ankomah has proposed the consolidation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) into a new Independent National Prosecutions Authority.
He argues that the country must remove prosecutorial power from the control of the Executive.
Ankomah, a senior partner at Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah, made the comments in a Facebook post on Friday amid ongoing political debate over plans in Parliament to scrap the OSP.
He said a merger would allow Ghana to “combine the OSP’s dynamism with the DPP’s calm expertise”, describing the two institutions as complementary rather than competing.
Unified system
According to him, an independent authority would strengthen accountability while ensuring prosecutions are not influenced by political directives.
“It is imperative that we remove prosecutorial authority from any individual who is part of, or receives instructions from, the Executive,” he wrote.
Calling proposals to abolish the OSP “ill-advised”, Ankomah said the country needs a unified system that preserves the strengths of both bodies.
OSP has failed
The proposal adds a new dimension to the wider national conversation over anti-corruption reforms.
Former MP Ras Mubarak, for instance, urged Parliament to abolish the OSP and redirect resources to the Attorney-General’s Department.
“The creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, as I argued during discussions at committee in Parliament, is utterly unnecessary,” he said.
“What Ghana needs is a properly funded Attorney-General’s Department—one that has integrity and delivers.”
Mr Mubarak said the OSP’s existence has siphoned resources away from the justice system, leaving the Attorney-General’s office underfunded despite being constitutionally empowered to prosecute corruption.
“Why does Ghana need an OSP if those with prosecutorial powers are doing their job?” he asked. “I feel vindicated yet sad that millions have gone down the drain for nothing.”
Parliament is expected to continue debates on the future mandate of the OSP in the coming days.
