The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has opened up about what it describes as a difficult balancing act, delivering results while fighting for its very survival.

Speaking at a national dialogue held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, reflected on a turbulent 2025.

According to him, the office chalked some of its strongest operational successes during the year 2025, but at the same time faced intense pressure that threatened its existence.

OSP reflects on 'difficult' 2025, reaffirms commitment to accountability

For the team at the OSP, it was a year marked by both achievement and uncertainty, pushing forward with investigations while also responding to growing political calls to scrap the institution altogether.

“2025 was our best year of performance; at the same time, it was our worst year of existential troubles. Why should Kissi and a few officers of the Office of the Special Prosecutor always fight existential battles just to keep this office running?” he said.

Agyebeng suggested that the pressure stems largely from the nature of the office’s work, holding powerful public officials accountable. That mandate, he implied, has made the institution a target for resistance.

Beyond the challenges, he made a passionate appeal to civil society groups, urging them to stand by the OSP and help safeguard its future.

“When I become the former Special Prosecutor, I want to look back and say: civil society forged this office and civil society preserved it. It is your handiwork. Do not let it die,” he added.

The concerns come against the backdrop of a legislative move in December 2025, when Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor introduced a Private Member’s Bill seeking to repeal the law that established the OSP.

The proposal argued that, over the past eight years, the office has faced structural and constitutional hurdles that limit its effectiveness.

Key among the concerns was the overlap between the prosecutorial roles of the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney-General, an issue critics say has led to institutional tension and delays in handling cases.

However, the process was later halted after John Dramani Mahama requested that the bill be suspended, offering the office a reprieve.

NA/VPO

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