General News of Wednesday, 4 January 2023

Source: starrfm.com.gh

OSP’s work so far unsatisfactory – Vitus Azeem

Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem

Anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem has described Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng’s tenure as unsatisfactory, following the release of the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s half-year report.

The OSP has revealed that it is currently investigating over 120 cases in which it suspects corruption.

In a half-year report pursuant to the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 which mandates the Office to publish on a half-yearly basis the cases it is investigating or prosecuting, the OSP said the cases include the alleged bribery by Airbus SE, a European Multi-national aerospace corporation in respect of the sale and purchase of Military Aircraft for the Republic of Ghana.

Speaking to Starr News, Vitus Azeem said the Special Prosecutor could have achieved more.

“Peoples expectations were very high following the creation of the Office and the public pronouncement by the President and other public officials as a demonstration of its willingness to fight corruption. So when we are looking at the successes of the Office of Special Prosecutor or any anti-corruption investigator, we will usually be looking at the number of successful investigations that have been concluded, the number of successful prosecutions and possibly various amounts that have been recovered from people that have taken money illegally.

“When you look at it this way, I don’t think we have much to report on. Even though we are aware that expectations are high and that the Special Prosecutor is facing some constraints I can say that our expectations have not been met and we expect more than what we are hearing.”

Anti-graft campaigner, Vitus Azeem has described the performance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor under Kissi Agyebeng as Special Prosecutor as unsatisfactory, following the release of the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s half-year report.

The OSP has revealed that it is currently investigating over 120 cases in which it suspects corruption.

In a half-year report pursuant to the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 which mandates the Office to publish on a half-yearly basis the cases it is investigating or prosecuting, the OSP said the cases include the alleged bribery by Airbus SE, a European Multi-national aerospace corporation in respect of the sale and purchase of Military Aircraft for the Republic of Ghana.

Speaking to Starr News, Vitus Azeem said the Special Prosecutor could have achieved more.

“People’s expectations were very high following the creation of the Office and the public pronouncement by the President and other public officials as a demonstration of its willingness to fight corruption. So when we are looking at the successes of the Office of Special Prosecutor or any anti-corruption investigator, we will usually be looking at the number of successful investigations that have been concluded, the number of successful prosecutions and possibly various amounts that have been recovered from people that have taken money illegally.

“When you look at it this way, I don’t think we have much to report on. Even though we are aware that expectations are high and that the Special Prosecutor is facing some constraints I can say that our expectations have not been met and we expect more than what we are hearing.”