Inusah Fuseini disagrees with proposal to embed Special Prosecutor on Judicial Council

Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has expressed his disagreement with the suggestion to place the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on the Judicial Council, asserting that such an arrangement is unnecessary for combating corruption effectively, starrfmonline.com reports.

Transparency International's recent report, released on January 30, 2024, indicated that Ghana maintained a consistent corruption score of 43 for the fourth consecutive year, securing the 70th position out of 180 countries and territories assessed.

In response to the report, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng advocated for a review of the OSP laws to incorporate a seat on the Judicial Council for the OSP.

In an interview on Morning Starr, the former lawmaker questioned the commitment of the OSP to the anti-corruption cause.

He argued that the OSP had not sufficiently demonstrated dedication to the fight against corruption, making it unwarranted to consider further amendments to the law or embedding the OSP on the judicial council.

"I have always said that state institutions must collaborate and understand the position of Ghana in terms of our fight against corruption. So he has some sympathy from me. But I do not think that the remedy to building stakeholder collaboration is adding the office of the special prosecutor to the Judicial Council," remarked Mr. Fuseini.

He further expressed concerns about the perception that such an integration could lead to the OSP influencing judges and conspiring with the Judicial Council and the judiciary to infringe on people's rights.

"I don’t think that we need to bring that perception. I just think that challenges are opportunities. Look at the other way so that if there are challenges you need to look at those challenges and device strategies to be able to overcome those challenges. Those strategies must be within the law," Mr. Fuseini concluded.

NAY/OGB