Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has launched a piercing appraisal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), arguing that the office is just a waste of public funds.
He questioned the relevance of OSP, its performance, and legal posture in the ongoing matter involving former Minister for Finance Mr Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mr Agyepong accused the OSP of running a “media trial” rather than pursuing due process through the courts.
“So what is wrong with this OSP? Is he conducting a public and media trial of Ken Ofori-Atta? As of now, no charges have been brought against Ken, so he’s not an accused person yet—even if the OSP sees him as a person of interest,” Mr. Agyepong noted.
He also questioned the delay in prosecution, suggesting that if the OSP had credible evidence, it should have already laid charges.
“If the OSP has what he’s claiming he has, why hasn’t he charged Ken with all the assembled facts and evidence and started prosecution in a proper court of law? After all, people have been tried in absentia several times in the past. Does he need the physical presence of Ken before he does his job?”
Mr Agyepong also challenged the legality of the OSP’s attempt to label Mr Ofori-Atta as a “fugitive from justice,” stating that only a competent court has the power to make such a declaration.
“That cannot be the mandate of a prosecutor who should be busying himself trying to prove his case before a judge. When he claimed his life was under threat, didn’t he find it necessary to operate outside the country at our expense? If he could work outside the country, then he could equally reach Ken. This is clearly a PR stunt to justify himself in an office that should never have been set up in the first place—a worthless drain on our overstretched public purse.”
The former NPP General Secretary and presidential hopeful also defended Mr Ofori-Atta’s legal right to remain silent, warning against any undue pressure that could infringe on his rights.
