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The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has defended its communication strategy after political commentator Atik Mohammed accused the anti-graft body of engaging in “social media prosecution” rather than pursuing its cases in court.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mohammed criticised the OSP for what he described as “clickbait and mischief,” arguing that the institution had become “a way-side prosecutor” that debates accused persons online instead of in court.
Responding in a statement, Sammy Darko, a spokesperson for the OSP, dismissed the criticism as “non-constructive” and said the office’s transparency is part of its legal mandate under the OSP Act.
“The OSP was designed as a disruptor — not another EOCO, Police or NIB. Publishing details of ongoing cases does not breach any rule; trials are conducted in court, not on social media,” Darko said.
He noted that the office is currently prosecuting several corruption-related cases across Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale, including matters involving the Northern Development Authority, the Public Procurement Authority, and the Tema Oil Refinery.
Darko also cited financial recoveries and preventive interventions by the OSP, saying its investigations have saved Ghana billions of cedis. “The SML case alone saved the nation over GHS 5 billion. The office has more than paid for itself — and many times over,” he added.
He said the OSP’s corruption risk assessments had also halted inflated contracts, exposed ghost payments amounting to GHS 34 million in the Northern Region, and prevented irregular sales of state assets.
“The OSP is audited annually by the Auditor-General and continues to deliver measurable results,” Darko said. “When the OSP speaks, they say it talks too much; when it stays silent, they accuse it of protecting suspects. The results are there — in courtrooms and in the public purse.”
The OSP, established in 2018, is Ghana’s independent anti-corruption agency mandated to investigate and prosecute corruption and related offences involving public officials.
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