The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has advocated for the separation of the Office of the Attorney-General from the Ministry of Justice as a crucial step in the fight against corruption in the country.

In a released statement, the PPP also proposed the transformation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor into the Office of the Attorney General, with the Minister serving as an advisor to the President.

Expressing alignment with those supporting the PPP’s longstanding stance on the complete segregation of the roles of the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General, the party urged the separation of the two entities and the conversion of the Office of the Special Prosecutor into the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).

“We are clearly in agreement with those echoing the PPP’s long-held position of a total separation of the Minister of Justice from the Attorney General. Attorney General for the people and the Minister of Justice as an advisor to the President. Hence, we ask for the separation of the two and convert the OSP to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).

“The powers of the OSP are unfortunately embedded in the Minister of Justice and Attorney General as per the OSP (Act 2017), Act 959 that created the Office. The OSP has been seeded some powers of the AG which is, in itself, problematic.”

The PPP criticized the creation of the OSP as a mere fulfillment of a propaganda campaign, asserting that it was used to give the illusion of addressing corruption without substantial action.

“The OSP has been used to fulfil a propaganda campaign message just to deceive Ghanaians into believing something is being done about corruption. This new Attorney General Office (AGO) must have a budget that is built on the percentage of the National Budget. Access to its funding must be enshrined in the constitution.”