The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), has announced that it will host a session with the public on X Spaces on June 29.
The notice was posted on the social media pages of the OSP on June 28.
“An evening with the OSP- Dedicated Q & A session,” the post read.
The caption that accompanied the post requested the public to “Join us for an open conversation on X. Bring your questions, concerns, criticisms, even your anger. Transparency begins with dialogue. Let’s fight corruption together—in the open.”
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has been in the news lately over corruption and corruption -related cases it is investigating. Key among these cases is the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) deal.
In this regard, the OSP has recently arrested some past officials of the GRA.
On June 25, the OSP announced that it has arrested Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, former Commissioner-General of the GRA; Isaac Crentsil, ex-Commissioner of Customs and now General Manager at Strategic Mobilsation Limited (SML); and Christian Tetteh Sottie, former Technical Advisor and now MD/CEO of SML.
In a statement, the OSP said that the arrests were linked to ongoing investigations into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of contracts between the GRA and SML for revenue assurance services.
“The probe also seeks to verify SML’s claims that its services have been saving the nation significant revenues. Owusu-Amoah, Crentsil and Sottie were detained last night after failing to meet bail conditions,” the statement said.
This notwithstanding some critics have said that so much resources have been spent on the OSP to fight corruption yet there is little to show for it.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints on June 28, a private legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu said arresting persons for suspected wrongdoing is not just enough, they will have to be sent to court and convicted.
To that end, he says he will hasten to celebrate the OSP for this arrest.
“We will wait for the day the case makes it to court. If the case has not gone to court and conducted, then you haven’t done anything. I won’t celebrate the arrest too much, but it is not a criminal conviction. Double up and enter the court,” he said.
Kpebu, however, said the arrest is a good step by the OSP, saying that finally, accountability is taking place now.
“Finally, there is some accountability. When this story broke in the previous administration, because President Akufo-Addo was the clearing agent, he quickly got KPMG to issue a report. A lot of CSOs said KPMG shouldn’t do it because KPMG had too many contracts from the Akufo-Addo government. It is good that OSP is finally coming to speed on this matter to some extent,” he added.
There is also the case involving the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for which he has been declared wanted. Incidentally, the reasons why the Special Prosecutor is seeking the arrest of Mr Ofori-Atta includes the GRA-SML deal.
Against this backdrop, the forum to be created through the X Spaces on June 29 will offer an opportunity for Mr Kissi Agyebeng and his team, to account for their stewardship.
