The Director of Strategy, Research & Communication at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Samuel Appiah Darko, has voiced strong reservations about the potential effectiveness of the long-pending Conduct of Public Officers (CoPO) Bill, labelling it a “white elephant.”

Speaking at JoyNews’ "Election and Anti-Corruption" event on Thursday, Darko warned that the bill, if passed without significant amendments, would become just another ineffectual law in Ghana’s legal system.

“Ghana is a country that has so many laws. But we don’t have efficient laws,” Darko stated. “From me, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and as a lawyer, I am happy we have not passed the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, although I am in the anti-corruption business, because as it stands now, if we pass it, it will become another white elephant.”

Darko, a member of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the University Teachers Association of Ghana, and the Ghana Journalists Association argued that the bill in its current form would undermine the OSP's role in addressing corruption. He highlighted concerns that many of the offences covered under the CoPO Bill would be redirected to the Attorney-General’s office rather than the OSP, the very institution created to independently tackle corruption cases.

“We are in this country and we say that we are worried that the Attorney-General is sometimes conflicted and unable to prosecute his own, that is why we came up with the Office of the Special Prosecutor. But all the offences that the Conduct of Public Officers Bill will go to the Attorney-General,” he stated.

According to Darko, the bill requires amendments to ensure that corruption-related offences can be managed by the OSP rather than solely by the Attorney-General. “Other than that, it will not work,” he added.

The Conduct of Public Officers Bill, first proposed in 2008, is intended to introduce reforms in asset and liability declarations, address conflicts of interest, and establish a code of conduct for public officials. President Akufo-Addo has assured Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that the bill will be enacted before the end of his tenure, but delays have raised concerns. The Cabinet maintains that existing laws are sufficient to regulate public officers’ conduct, yet many in the public and civil society argue that the bill is essential for addressing corruption effectively.

A coalition of CSOs, including OccupyGhana, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and the Citizen’s Movement Against Corruption (CMaC), is urging the Cabinet to expedite approval of the CoPO Bill for enactment. They have called on Ghanaians, other CSOs, and the media to advocate for the bill, arguing that the delays reflect a lack of political will to address corruption.

Nicholas Opoku, Legal and Governance Policy Analyst at CDD-Ghana, has also expressed concerns regarding the bill’s current structure, noting that it does not sufficiently address the weaknesses in the existing regulatory framework, including Chapter 24 of the 1992 Constitution and the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550). In September 2020, Opoku pointed to key issues such as the narrow definition of a public officer, inadequate transparency in asset declaration processes, and the absence of rigorous verification mechanisms.

The CSOs insist that the passage of the CoPO Bill is critical for enhancing transparency and accountability within Ghana's public sector. They warn that failure to pass a robust and enforceable bill could perpetuate public distrust in the government’s commitment to combating corruption.