A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) legal team has called for constitutional amendments to strengthen the independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing that the current legal framework limits its effectiveness in fighting corruption.
Ross Osei Owusu said Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture requires structural reforms, particularly to Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, to ensure prosecutorial independence.
Speaking on Asaase Radio’s The Forum programme, he said the absence of explicit constitutional backing for the OSP has created uncertainty over its authority.
“Some state institutions are really mentioned in the constitution. if we really want the intended OSP the teeth to bite, to make it independent in order to fight corruption then in respectful opinion I think article 88 (4) should have been amended and if possible, the OSP should have been mentioned in the constitution so that this conversation should not have been up today,” he said.
He argued that Ghana’s current governance structure, particularly the merging of the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney-General’s office, limits political will to prosecute corruption cases.
“I think that government does not have that power and that will to prosecute corruption in this country to the extent that they continue to merge the ministry of justice and the attorney general,” he said.
“Government will forever not have the political will to prosecute their own,” he added.
Owusu said future reforms should focus on revisiting constitutional provisions to guarantee the OSP’s independence if it is to remain effective.
“So I feel that going forward we should be looking at Article 88 again if we want the OSP to remain,” he said.
The remarks come amid ongoing legal and political debate over the scope and independence of the OSP, with differing interpretations of its relationship with the Attorney-General continuing to shape public discourse.
