Charge Sheet Games, Missing Dockets, and a Fugitive Finance Minister…….
By Prince Ahenkorah
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) appears to be dancing around its own shadows in what legal analysts are calling a calculated pattern of delay and procedural sabotage in the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases.
From the bungled handling of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) trial to its ongoing tug-of-war with the Attorney-General over the extradition of Ken Ofori-Atta, the OSP’s credibility is hanging by a thread.
On August 20, 2025, OSP lawyers appeared before a vacation judge and claimed to have amended the charge sheet in the case against former NPA boss Dr. Abdul-Hamid and nine others. But in a stunning display of procedural negligence, they failed to furnish the court and the accused with the revised charges. The court, unimpressed, adjourned the matter to October 20.
The Court had earlier, on July 23rd ordered the OSP to file its full disclosures to pave way for the trial to commence.
Fast forward to the new hearing date, and the OSP pulled another surprise announcing it had once again changed the charges. No prior filings, no disclosures, no witness statements. Just another curveball thrown into an already convoluted trial.
Legal observers say the OSP had ample time during the legal vacation to tidy up its filings. Instead, it chose to stall, leaving the court’s July 23 directives in limbo and the trial in disarray.
The charges against Dr. Abdul-Hamid now span 54 counts, involving over GH¢297 million and US$332,000 allegedly siphoned from Oil Marketing Companies and Bulk Distribution firms. The OSP claims the funds were laundered through a web of companies and luxury assets, including fuel tankers, real estate, and high-end vehicles many of which remain frozen pending trial.
Meanwhile, one of the accused, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, has filed a human rights case, alleging unlawful detention, impersonation, and psychological abuse. In a sworn affidavit, Amuah claims he was lured into a “safe house” by individuals posing as national security operatives, denied legal counsel, and subjected to inhumane treatment before being handed over to the OSP.
His testimony paints a disturbing picture of rogue tactics and blurred lines between state agencies, raising fresh questions about the OSP’s methods and its coordination with intelligence bodies.
While the NPA case flounders, another storm brews over the OSP’s failure to cooperate with the Attorney-General’s Office in extraditing former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. Despite issuing an Interpol Red Notice and declaring him a fugitive, the OSP has refused to hand over the investigative docket effectively blocking the AG from initiating formal extradition proceedings.
Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai expressed frustration, saying, “We cannot proceed without the docket. The OSP has gone silent despite months of requests.”
Ofori-Atta, wanted in connection with the SML contract, National Cathedral expenditures, and other financial irregularities, remains in the United States nearly ten months after being declared wanted. His lawyers promised a voluntary return. That promise, like the OSP’s docket, has yet to materialize.
The OSP’s erratic conduct has triggered a broader crisis of confidence in Ghana’s anti-corruption framework. From courtroom theatrics to inter-agency turf wars, the institution created to fight corruption now finds itself accused of undermining justice.
As the public watches these cases unravel, one question looms large: Is the OSP fighting corruption or simply playing for time?