Director for Public Engagement and Partnerships at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, Kojo Pumpuni Asante,, has expressed concern over what he describes as sustained and disproportionate criticism directed at the Office of the Special Prosecutor, warning that it exposes deeper contradictions in Ghana’s anti-corruption drive.

Speaking at a national dialogue on the Office of the Special Prosecutor on Tuesday, March 31, Dr Asante observed that, since its establishment, the OSP has faced persistent legal and political pushback—treatment he noted has not been extended to other state investigative agencies.

He pointed out that institutions such as the Financial Intelligence Centre, Economic and Organised Crime Office, and the Criminal Investigations Department, which perform similar functions, have largely been spared the same level of scrutiny and resistance.

According to him, this pattern highlights a gap between Ghana’s public commitment to fighting corruption and the actual willingness to safeguard independent oversight bodies.

Dr Asante criticised what he described as a recurring cycle in which political actors call for independent anti-corruption mechanisms during elections, only to undermine them when in power.

He cautioned that any move to return to the pre-2018 framework—before the establishment of the OSP—would undermine progress and weaken the country’s governance architecture.

He further noted that international best practice favours the strengthening of independent anti-corruption institutions, arguing that Ghana’s current model aligns with global standards.

Dr Asante maintained that the long-standing debate over whether corruption prosecutions, particularly those involving politically exposed persons, should be handled independently of the Attorney General has effectively been resolved, stressing the need to preserve and reinforce the autonomy of the Special Prosecutor’s office.