Office of Special Prosecutor now fully functional – Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo on Thursday swore-into office the Governing Board of the Office of Special Prosecutor at a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House.

Describing it as the final act in the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor, President Akufo-Addo noted that, as required by the dictates of the Special Prosecutor’s Act, Act 915, of 2017, “the Office is fully functional, according to law.”

With the establishment of the Office having caught the imagination and elicited the overwhelming support of the Ghanaian people, he told the members of the board that their fundamental purpose is to work to ensure the independence of this Office.

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“It is a new institution in the law enforcement architecture of our country, as well as in the architecture of our anti-corruption institutional framework. But, it is extremely important that the commitment that was made that this would be an Office independent of the Executive, that is the charge that you are required to keep,” the President said.

President Akufo-Addo President Akufo-Addo with Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu

He continued, “Your own composition tells you that you are also to be the body that ensures the co-operation of the law enforcement agencies of this country. The Attorney General is represented here, the Police Service is represented here, and we have high level representatives of the other institutions of the law enforcement world of Ghana. So, it is therefore, mandatory not only to guard the independence of the Office, but also to ensure the co-operation of the law enforcement agencies with the Office of the Special Prosecutor.”

The Board is composed of Mr. Martin Amidu, Special Prosecutor; Cynthia Lamptey, Deputy Special Prosecutor; Charles Nana Antwi, Representative of EOCO; DCOP Tiwaa Addo Danquah, Representative of the Police Service; Linda Ofori Kwarfo, Representative of the Anti-Corruption Coalition; Kofi Boadu Boakye, Representative of the Financial Intelligence Centre; Charles Ayimadu, Representative of CHRAJ; Kwaku Domfe, Representative of National Security; and Mr. Addae Wereko, Representative of the Auditor General’s Department.

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President Akufo-Addo with Linda Ofori Kwarfo, one of the members of the Board of the OSP

President Akufo-Addo noted that the quality of personnel assembled to compose the board “are such as to give confidence that this very difficult assignment is one that is going to be undertaken in all seriousness, will be done without fear or favor, ill will or malice.”

Like the Council of State, President Akufo-Addo noted that the statute setting up the Office of Special Prosecutor is insistent that he is not the person that appoints the Chairperson.

“You have to sit, after this meeting, either today or whenever it is convenient for you, and designate the Chairperson to chair your organization. That is what the law requires. All I can hope for is that you will choose somebody who will facilitate the intercourse amongst yourselves,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo assured the Board of his support in making sure that “Minister of Finance implements your budget, and, if necessary, finds ways to mobilize additional resources for you to be able to do your work well.”

He wished them “Godspeed in the discharge of your various functions” and was hopeful that “the work that you will do will inure to the enhancement of the public life of our country and ultimately to the benefit and welfare of the Ghanaian people.”

Credit: Jubilee House Communications Directorate