The Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has dismissed claims that the current administration is undermining the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing instead that the institution’s challenges stem from inherent legal defects at its inception.

Speaking on Acca-based JoyFM on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Mr Tameklo rejected assertions by the Minority in Parliament, insisting that the OSP was never designed to function as a fully independent prosecutorial body.

He accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of establishing the office as a “political tool” aimed at targeting officials from the previous administration.

Mr Tameklo anchored his argument on Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, which vests exclusive prosecutorial authority in the Attorney-General.

He maintained that the provision is entrenched and cannot be altered by an ordinary Act of Parliament, such as the law establishing the OSP.

According to him, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, a one-time Attorney-General, was fully aware of these constitutional limitations.

“The provisions of Article 88 are so entrenched that there was no way an ordinary Act of Parliament could be used to amend the scope… but for politics,” he argued.

Mr Tameklo further cited parliamentary records from November 1, 2017, to support his position that concerns about the OSP’s legal framework were raised early but ignored.

He referenced exchanges involving former MP Dominic Ayine and then-Speaker Mike Oquaye, where questions were raised about the legal basis for the OSP’s prosecutorial powers.

According to him, the NDC had proposed that the office’s mandate be clearly defined through a Constitutional Instrument or Legislative Instrument to ensure legal certainty—advice he said was overlooked in favour of political expediency.

“All these matters were envisaged. They were seen. You never set the office right, and that is what has continued years after,” he stated.

Mr Tameklo also alleged that tensions between the NPP government and the OSP escalated when the office began scrutinising decisions involving government officials.

He cited the Agyapa Royalties transaction and the corruption risk assessment conducted by former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu, which raised concerns about the role of then-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

He suggested that the fallout from that report contributed to friction between the government and the anti-corruption body.

Despite the criticisms, Mr Tameklo rejected suggestions that the NDC intends to abolish the OSP.

He pointed to the party’s 2024 manifesto, which commits to strengthening the institution.

He also clarified that a recent Private Member’s Motion by two NDC MPs seeking to repeal the OSP Act does not reflect the party’s official position, noting that General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey had distanced the party from the move due to lack of consultation.

As the OSP pursues legal action, including a Notice of Appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a High Court ruling directing the Attorney-General to take over its cases, Mr Tameklo maintained that the current impasse is the result of a structural legal flaw created at the office’s formation.