By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
President John Dramani Mahama has lent his weight to calls for the reinforcement of the prosecutorial powers of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, OSP, even as constitutional questions surrounding its mandate remain under judicial determination.
Addressing the 2026 May Day celebrations in Koforidua, President Mahama conceded that the matter is currently sub judice, yet underscored government’s conviction that the anti-graft institution must be adequately empowered to discharge its mandate without encumbrance.
“While some of the issues are pending appeal and Supreme Court interpretation, government believes that there is space for an effective Office of the Special Prosecutor with special powers of prosecution,” he stated.
The President’s remarks follow a protracted legal contest regarding the OSP’s authority to independently prosecute corruption-related offences , a matter now awaiting authoritative interpretation by the Supreme Court.
This comes on the heels of a recent High Court judgment that cast doubt on the OSP’s independent prosecutorial capacity, ruling that such powers are constitutionally reposed in the Attorney-General. That decision has since been appealed, with the apex court expected to deliver a definitive pronouncement.
Established in 2017, the OSP was conceived as an independent bastion against graft, mandated to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences, particularly those implicating public officials, free from political interference. The ongoing legal impasse, however, has ignited profound concerns over the scope of its prosecutorial authority and its potency in spearheading Ghana’s anti-corruption crusade.