Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Addah, has criticised a recent High Court ruling that restricts the prosecutorial authority of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), warning that it could undermine Ghana’s progress in the fight against corruption.

Speaking on Joy FM on April 16, 2026, Addah said the country’s anti-corruption efforts have been marked by decades of institutional struggle and reform, making the decision a significant setback.

Dr Ansa-Asare weighs in on OSP’s prosecutorial powers debate

“I believe, without a doubt, yesterday took us about eight years back in the fight against corruption. As a people, we continue to grapple with constitutional constraints in prosecuting corruption effectively.

“After 30 years of struggle, we reached a consensus over two decades that we needed a different institutional architecture to drive the anti-corruption agenda if we were to succeed,” she stated.

Her comments follow a ruling by an Accra High Court which held that the OSP does not have independent authority to prosecute criminal cases, directing that all cases initiated by the anti-corruption body be referred to the Attorney General’s Department.

The presiding judge, Justice John Eugene Nyadu Nyante, ruled that while the OSP is empowered to investigate corruption-related offences, it lacks the constitutional mandate to independently initiate prosecutions.

The decision was based on Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, which vests prosecutorial authority in the Attorney General.
The ruling stems from an application for quo warranto filed by Peter Achibold Hyde, who challenged the legal authority of the OSP to undertake prosecutions.

The development has sparked renewed debate over the scope of the Special Prosecutor’s mandate and whether legal reforms are needed to strengthen its independence.

JKB/VPO

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