A senior communicator for the Movement for Change, Solomon Owusu has accused the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) of attempting to court public sympathy through its actions, particularly regarding the declaration of former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta as a wanted fugitive.

Speaking on TV3 NewDay, monitored by GhanaWeb on Monday, February 17, 2025, Owusu argued that the Special Prosecutor's recent actions suggest a lack of independence, raising concerns about his ability to fight corruption without external influence.

“For you to tell me that when you are appointed as an SP, you need the backing of the president before you can perform means you should not have accepted the appointment in the first place.

"So, it means if John Mahama at a point also decides to withdraw his support, then he becomes incapacitated. Then what sort of SP would we have? The truth of the matter is that he is not competent", he stated.

The Movement for Change communicator further questioned the OSP’s impact on corruption, particularly in recovering stolen state funds.

“The act that establishes that office empowers him to investigate corruption-related offences. And do what? Recover any stolen wealth for the state. How much has this OSP recovered for the state?” he asked.

He cited the African Games scandal as an example of the OSP’s alleged inefficiency.

“In the case of the African Games, I, together with Kwame, the running mate to Alan Kyerematen, petitioned him. I went there with journalists, including people from your station, as we speak, if it’s today that he’s going to invite us, only God knows", he noted.

Owusu maintained that if the government was serious about fighting corruption, it would not rely on the Special Prosecutor.

“If this government wants to take issues of corruption seriously, it does not lie in their mouth to be relying on this SP. They must go at all lengths to use their own Attorney General to do business,” he said.

He further claimed that the OSP was too close to certain political figures to be effective.

“He is so friendly with these people that nothing will happen,” he asserted.

Owusu likened the current situation to the appointment of Martin Amidu as the first Special Prosecutor, arguing that the Akufo-Addo administration had initially hoped Amidu, as a member of the opposition NDC, would take on his own party. “In the end, Martin Amidu came to tell the world that the mother of all serpents was Akufo-Addo, the mother of corruption,” he recounted.

According to Owusu, Amidu eventually realized that he lacked the power to confront his own political allies and chose to resign.

“So he, realizing that he didn’t have what it takes to go back and deal with his own people, decided to find ways and means to exit,” he concluded.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) recently declared Ken Ofori-Atta a wanted fugitive.

At a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng disclosed that all indications suggest Ofori-Atta has absconded from Ghana to evade investigations into alleged corruption.

He stated that Ofori-Atta has two choices; either return to the jurisdiction voluntarily or face the consequences.

The former finance minister is under investigation regarding contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilization Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for revenue assurance in the petroleum and minerals sectors.

Another investigation concerns the termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Beijing Technology Limited for distribution loss reduction and network improvement.

He is also being investigated over procurement, payments, and activities related to the controversial National Cathedral project.

Additionally, he has been linked to contracts awarded by the Ministry of Health initially through the Ministry for Special Development Initiatives to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the purchase and maintenance of 307 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 305 CDI ambulances for the National Ambulance Service.

Furthermore, the OSP is examining payments made from and the utilization of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s tax refund account.

Following these allegations, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has demanded Ofori-Atta’s immediate return to Ghana to face investigations.

JKB/EK

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