Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr Dickson Adomako-Kissi, has called for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

He argued that the creation of the OSP was unnecessary because its mandate overlaps with the responsibilities of the Office of the Attorney General.

Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, September 1, Dr Adomako-Kissi said the Attorney General already has the legal authority to arrest and prosecute persons accused of crimes.

“I’ve been in that school of thought from day one because listen, the Attorney General’s office, if he really wants to arrest and prosecute anybody, he has the right to do it,” he said.

The former lawmaker conceded the independence of the Attorney General in pursuing politically exposed persons remains a concern because the office is headed by a government appointee.

However, he stressed that the OSP, which was established as an independent anti-corruption prosecutorial institution, has so far failed to deliver meaningful results to Ghanaians.

He cited what he described as the institution’s expenditure on vehicles, offices and salaries compared with the outcomes of its investigations and prosecutions.

Dr Adomako-Kissi also compared Ghana’s system with that of New York, arguing that the state relies on an Attorney General rather than a separate special prosecutor’s office to handle major crimes.

“I have always, based on the current performance of the OSP’s office, the office should be scrapped. It’s been rendered ineffective at this point in time,” he stated.

He stressed that his criticism was not directed personally at the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, but at the structure and performance of the institution.