OSP is a drain on our resources – Duncan Amoah

Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, Duncan Amoah, has called for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, describing the institution as unnecessary and a drain on state resources.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, April 18, Duncan Amoah argued that the OSP duplicates the functions of already established state agencies and has failed to demonstrate the independence it was created to uphold.

“Let that OSP go. There is a blot, a drain on our resources. We are clearly duplicating a lot of the efforts that the other institutions are originally mandated to,” he said.

He questioned the claim of independence surrounding the office, noting that the appointment process undermines its autonomy.

Mr Amoah maintained that existing institutions, including the Attorney-General’s Department and investigative bodies, are capable of performing the same functions if adequately resourced.

According to him, the focus should shift towards strengthening these institutions rather than creating parallel structures that strain public finances.

“I don’t think that the OSP is here to serve Ghanaians any purpose that the Attorney-General’s office could not serve. I don’t think the OSP would have done any better job than EOCO or the police CID,” he added.

He also raised concerns about what he termed as increasing institutional overlaps, warning that such developments could create unnecessary tensions among state agencies involved in investigations.

His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of the office following a High Court ruling that ordered the Attorney-General to take over all criminal prosecutions being handled by the OSP, intensifying calls for a review of its mandate and relevance.