By Elsie Appiah-Osei, GNA
Accra, April 25, GNA – The National Democratic Congress Majority Caucus has described the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as an alleged populist creation of the Akufo-Addo government.
The Caucus argued that existing state institutions already had the mandate to perform the functions of the OSP, making the establishment of the office unnecessary.
Mr Shaibu Mahama, the Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, made the remarks when he reacted to the recent High Court ruling between the OSP and the Attorney-General.
He said, “The creation of the OSP at the time was unnecessary and did not have teeth to bite if ever it was passed.”
“The OSP did not have legs to stand on. If it did at all, it did at the behest of the Attorney General.
“Unless and until we amend Article 88 (4), of the Constitution. There is no way the OSP has any teeth to bite. This has been our argument from 2017 to date. I am not surprised that these things have come up. It was a populist creation,” he said.
Mr Mahama noted that the ruling directing the Attorney General to assume control of all ongoing criminal prosecutions by the OSP was appropriate.
He, therefore, called for an amendment of Article 88(4) of the Constitution as part of the ongoing constitutional reforms to grant the OSP prosecutorial powers, if necessary.
“Thankfully, we are doing the constitutional review now, and if anybody is minded ceding the prosecutorial powers of the AG to other institutions, this is the right time to do it,” the Chairman said.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei