My office continues to suffer debilitating financial, material constraints - Special Prosecutor

Special Prosecutor Kisi Agyabeng has said his office is continuing to grapple with debilitating financial and material constraints.

In pursuance of section 3(3) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), Kissi Agyabeng presented his second half yearly report under his tenure as Special Prosecutor on 31st December 2022.

In a preamble to the report seen by MyNewsGh.com, the Special Prosecutor said though his office has successfully investigated some cases with many more under investigation, these were done under difficult situations born out of financial and material constraints.

“Notwithstanding continuous debilitating financial and material constraints and the non-issuance of its establishment budget, the OSP has performed its fourfold functions of investigating, prosecuting, asset recovering and preventing corruption and corruption-related offences commendably. The impact of the operations of the OSP resonates in all provinces of life,” he wrote.

The report gave insight into the corruption cases investigated and prosecuted by his office and the highlights of activities undertaken between 1 August 2022 and 31 December 2022.

The report noted that there has not been any convictions or acquittals in respect of the cases pending before the criminal courts during the period under review namely CR/0492/2022 The Republic v. Adjenim Boateng Adjei & Another and D13/01/22 Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka.

Other cases that have been successfully investigated pending further action include allegations of the use of public office for profit against Charles Bissu during his tenure as Secretary to the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), arising from an investigative documentary titled Galamsey Fraud Part I published by Tiger Eye P.I. and the investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

There is also the case of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of a contract awarded by the Northern Development Authority to A&QS Consortium Limited for consultancy services under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), especially in respect of the quantum of the contract sum.