Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai has brushed aside claims that the Attorney-General's Office has repeatedly shut the door on collaboration requests from the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), insisting that such cooperation is not a favour but a legal obligation.

The comments come after Sammy Darko, the OSP's Director of Strategy, Research and Communications, told JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, August 29, that the anti-graft body had deliberately stayed quiet about several occasions when it sought partnership only to be turned down.

Deputy AG challenges OSP's jurisdictional bounds at the Supreme Court

“There are so many issues the OSP has kept quiet and not talked about. Look, there are instances where the OSP has approached the Attorney-General's Office and said, let us collaborate in this matter, and we have been turned down,” he claimed.

Speaking to JoyNews at the Supreme Court, Justice Srem-Sai described the allegation as false and stressed that no institutional friction exists.

“There has never been any tension between OSP as far as the Attorney-General is concerned,” he said.

He explained that Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine's priority is straightforward: proper investigation and prosecution of crime while protecting the rights of accused persons.

"My boss has no desire whatsoever to struggle with anyone over a job or what to do. What my boss knows and what he's always asking us to do is to ensure that we fight crime and fight crime properly, respecting the rights of accused persons,” he said.

The Deputy AG pointed out that the OSP is simply one of several agencies in the national fight against crime and corruption. The Attorney-General’s Office already works routinely with the National Commission for Civic Education (NACOC), the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Police Service and others.

“Why should there be some particular tension between them and us?” he asked.

“OSP is another agency created by legislation to fight crime. And like the way we work with all the other institutions, we work with the OSP the same way,” he said.

He added that the idea of the OSP having to make formal approaches that are then refused does not arise.

“But to say you have come to collaborate with us and we said no, there wouldn't be any need for that approach in the first place," he said.

Asked if the Attorney-General’s Office stands ready to partner with the OSP when needed, Justice Srem-Sai was emphatic that readiness is not the issue.

“We don't have a choice. It's not about being ready to welcome [the OSP]. We are bound as the Office of the Attorney-General to make sure that all the agencies that are fighting crime do their work and do their work properly,” he said.

He underscored that both institutions derive their powers from the Constitution and legislation, not personal preferences.

“We are all creatures of law, either by the Constitution or by legislation. And the law determines our place in the greater scheme of things,” he said.

The exchange adds to months of public attention on the relationship between the two offices. The OSP has navigated challenges to its independence, including a failed attempt in Parliament in December 2025 to repeal its founding law, Act 959, which President John Dramani Mahama described as premature and defended the office's independent prosecutorial role.

An Accra High Court ruling in April 2026 that the OSP could not prosecute without Attorney-General authorisation created further uncertainty, but the Supreme Court on July 29, 2026, unanimously upheld the constitutionality of the OSP Act. The apex court confirmed the office's power to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences while affirming that the Attorney-General retains the constitutional authority to discontinue such prosecutions.

Justice Srem-Sai maintained that the Attorney-General's Office remains focused on its mandate without any interest in friction. For ordinary Ghanaians watching the anti-corruption fight, the real test will be whether the legal framework translates into smooth, practical teamwork on the cases that matter.

NA/BAI

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