Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has claimed that government is deliberately sabotaging the work of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) by withholding funds.

In a Facebook post on February 28, 2023, Mr Ablakwa reported that government has chosen to pay salary to a Special Assistant at the OSP classified as a Political Appointee at the Presidency and ignore Mr Kissi Agyebeng who heads the Office.

“Why is this Special Assistant being paid from the Presidency, particularly when Parliament discovered last December that his boss, the OSP has not been paid for an incredible 16 months?” the legislator quizzed.

He also raised eyebrows over the said “independence” of the OSP since a member of the Office has been tagged as a political appointee at the Presidency.

“Why is a Special Assistant at the Office of the Special Prosecutor classified as a Political Appointee at the Presidency? How does this development help protect the independence of the Office of Special Prosecutor?” Mr Ablakwa further stated.

The North Tongu MP has therefore called on the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, to reach out to the public and clarify the issues being raised.

The OSP is mandated to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offenses in the public and private sectors, recovering the proceeds of such by disgorging illicit and unexplained wealth and taking steps to prevent corruption.

With regards to the performance of its functions, the Office is not subject to the direction or control of any person or authority, except as provided in the Constitution.

This is not the first time Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa has raised concerns over the kind of portfolios as well as the number, set up by the Presidency.

Some of the positions Mr Ablakwa has a hard time appreciating include; Youth Ambassador for Diaspora Affairs, Chief Executive of Public Sector Reforms, Overseerof the National Cathedral, Church Relations Manager, Diaspora Church Mobilization Officer, Director of Special Projects, Technical Director to the Presidential Advisor on Media,just to name a few.

He noted that “considering Ghana’s current unprecedented economic catastrophe, it is extremely difficult to understand why the numerous strange portfolios President Akufo-Addo created at the presidency years ago under the rather convenient category of political appointees continue to exist as a reckless drain on scarce taxes.”