Confirmed: Kissi Agyebeng is Special Prosecutor nominee

Legal Practitioner and Chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal, Kissi Agyebeng has been nominated to replace Martin Amidu as the next Special Prosecutor of Ghana.

His nomination was announced by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Dame in a letter sighted by GhanaWeb to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dated Friday, April 16, 2021.

"…In accordance with Section 13(3) of Act 959, I hereby nominate Kissi Agyebeng ESQ for the appointment of the position of Special Prosecutor, subject to the approval of majority of all the members of parliament," part of the statement read.

"I am satisfied that Kissi Agyebeng possesses the requisite expertise on corruption and corruption-related issues is high moral character and govern integrity and satisfies all the other requirements stipulated in Section 13(1) and (2) of Act 959," the statement added.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is however, yet to make a formal declaration of his nomination; Kissi Agyebeng as the Special prosecutor.

Per section 13 (8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), the President of the Republic is expected to within six months appoint another person to hold the position of the Special Prosecutor should it become vacant.

It will be recalled that the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu resigned on November 15, 2020 after levelling several allegations against President Akufo-Addo.

He among other things described him as the ‘mother serpent of corruption."

The OSP Mandate

Act 959, which establishes the Office of the Special Prosecutor, spells out three main objectives of the Office, namely: (i) investigate and prosecute alleged corruption or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences, (ii) recover the proceeds of corruption and corruption-related offences, and (iii) take steps to prevent corruption.

Below is the letter from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Dame