Eight major corruption cases being prosecuted by OSP

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has outlined eight major corruption cases currently pending before the courts, involving former government officials, senior public servants and corporate entities.

In its half-year report released in July 2025, the OSP said the prosecutions span key sectors including petroleum, education, mining, procurement and payroll administration.

Among those facing trial are former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mustapha Abdul-Hamid; former Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue and former Chief Executive of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei.

The cases are being heard in courts in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale.

According to the OSP, the ongoing prosecutions reflect its renewed determination to hold both public officials and private actors accountable and to strengthen the fight against corruption.

Below are the eight cases that the OSP is currently pursuing

Cr/0603/2025 the republic v Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & nine others

On 23 July 2023, the Office initiated criminal proceedings in the High Court, Accra, against Mustapha Abdul-Hamid (a former Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority) and nine (9) others, including three (3) corporate entities.

The accused persons are charged with twenty-five counts of conspiracy to commit extortion by a public officer; extortion by a public officer; using public office for profit; conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.

The case is adjourned till 26 August 2025.

Cr/0513/2025 the Republic v Issah Seidu & 3 others

On 27 June 2025, the Office arraigned three (3) public officials and one (1) retired public official – Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban, and Peter Archibold Hyde – before the High Court, Accra on charges for corruption by and of a public officer and using public office for profit concerning an attempt to unlawfully appropriate ten containers of imported rice at the Tema Port.

The case is adjourned to 21 October 2025.

Cr/0407/2025 The Republic v Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue &

Another (substituted with Cr/0559/2025 The Republic v Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue & two others)

On 28 April 2025, the Office charged Charles Bissue (the Secretary to the disbanded Interministerial Committee on Illegal Mining) with six (6) counts of using public office for profit and three (3) counts of corruption by a public officer in respect of suspected bribes and illicit gifts to unlawfully secure a fast-tracked issuance of a concession sticker to enable a business entity to commence mining without a licence.

The case has been adjourned to August 28, 2025.

Bissue was initially charged together with businessman Andy Thomas Owusu, who has since been convicted following a plea the conclusion and execution of a plea bargain.

The Special Prosecutor accepted Owusu’s offer of restitution and reparation to the republic on the following considerations in accordance with section 71(4) of Act 959:

i. The history of Owusu with respect to criminal activity.

ii. The level of cooperation Owusu exhibited during the

investigation.

iii. The likelihood of obtaining a conviction if the case proceeds to

trial.

iv. The probable effect on witnesses of a trial.

v. The need to avoid delay in the disposition of other pending cases.

FT/0035/2025 The Republic v Ibrahim Kofi Sessah (substituted with FT/0075/2025 The Republic v Ibrahim Kofi Sessah & Another)

On 11 March 2025, the Office initiated criminal proceedings against Ibrahim Kofi Sessah, a technician with the local Government Service at Adeiso District, for his alleged involvement in a large-scale bribery and money laundering scheme relating to the unlawful sale of Ghana Education Service (GES) appointment letters.

Acting in concert with others at large, including Anthony Gyasi (an IT Officer at GES Head Office), Sadia Alhassan (a teacher at Philip Quaque Boys Basic School) and Francis Asare (a private businessman), Sessah is alleged to have solicited payments from prospective teacher applicants in exchange for GES appointment letters.

Between January 2022 and December 2023, Sessah is suspected of receiving GH¢604,260.00 through his Zenith Bank account, of which GH¢580,000.00 was collected directly from over 100 applicants.

A substantial portion of these funds was allegedly transferred to Anthony Gyasi.

Following investigations, Sessah was arrested and charged with using public office for profit, giving a bribe to influence a public officer and money laundering.

He was arraigned before the High Court, Accra, on 6 May 2025, where he pleaded not guilty.

On 24 July 2024, the charge sheet was substituted with an additional accused person, Gloria Acquah, as the second accused.

The case stands adjourned till 16 October 2025.

NR/TL/HC/CC1/2/25 the republic v Tahidu Yakubu & Five others

In November 2023, the OSP and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department jointly commenced a corruption risk assessment and investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of Government Payroll administration.

The assessment and investigation are especially aimed at isolating and removing the names of non-existent, ineligible and undeserving persons from the government payroll, recovering wrongful payments and unearned salaries, prosecuting persons suspected to be culpable for any offences and the institution and implementation of internal controls in respect of payroll processing and payment of salaries.

The investigation and assessment cover all employees on government payroll and their respective banks and other deposit-taking financial institutions.

After enhanced investigations, the OSP charged and arraigned six (6) persons before the High Court, Tamale, on 13 March 2025 for several corruption and corruption-related offences.

The first accused, Tahidu Yakubu, is a former teacher at Balogu M/A Junior High School (Balogu JHS) in Yendi.

The second accused, Abdulai Abubakar Sadic, is the Integrated Municipal Personnel Payroll Database (IPPD) Coordinator at Yendi.

Responsible for, inter alia, payroll and reactivation of salaries.

Sammy Suuk, the third accused, is the Schools Improvement Support Officer (SISO) for the Yendi North Circuit, and his responsibilities include monitoring and supervision of schools and verification of monthly salaries of teachers in his area of supervision.

Mohammed Yusif Jay, the fourth accused, is the former Headmaster of Balogu JHS, in charge of the validation of salaries of teachers in the school.

The fifth accused, Stafford Korletey Azudey-Barres, is an Assistant Chief Account Technician at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department in Accra.

The sixth accused, Osman Issahaku, is the current Headmaster of Balogu JHS, in charge of the validation of salaries of teachers in the school.

The accused persons faced twenty-two (22) counts of corruption by and of a public officer; false certificate by a public officer and causing financial loss to the republic.

Upon the commencement of the proceedings, the accused persons triggered the OSP’s plea bargaining regime under section 71(1) of act 959 and voluntarily offered to admit the offences and make restitution and the provision of information that will aid in the arrest and prosecution of other persons known to them as having committed or are about to commit corruption and corruption related offences.

The Special Prosecutor, in accordance with section 71(3), (4) and (6) of act 959, considered that the offer was acceptable to the prosecution on the basis of the history of the accused with respect to criminal activity; the level of cooperation the accused exhibited during the investigation and the willingness of the accused to cooperate in the investigation and the prosecution of other persons.

On 30 April 2025, the Court considered the plea bargain agreement between the Republic and the accused persons to be satisfactory and the Judge accepted the plea of guilty from all the accused persons and convicted all the accused persons on their own plea.

The accused persons have discharged the financial obligation under the plea bargain.

D13/9/2022 the republic v Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka

On 24 May 2022, the Office initiated criminal proceedings at the High Court, Kumasi, against the President’s nominee for the position of Chief Executive of Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti region, Alexander Kwabena Sarfo Kantanka, for corruption in respect of a public election.

On 9 April 2024, the Court partially dismissed an application by Sarfo-Kantanka on a submission of no case to answer.

The Court held that the Republic had established a prima facie case against Sarfo-Kantanka in respect of three (3) of the charges.

The Court ordered Sarfo-Kantanka to open his defence in respect of the three (3) charges.

Sarfo-Kantanka subsequently filed an appeal in the Court of Appeal against the decision of the High Court.

He also filed an application for a stay of proceedings to suspend the trial indefinitely pending the outcome of the appeal.

The High Court dismissed the application for a stay of proceedings and ordered that the trial should proceed on its normal course.

The accused subsequently delivered his testimony and he was cross-examined.

The court fixed 28 November 2024 for judgment.

When the case was called on the date for judgment, a new judge, Justice Abdul Razak Musah, sat on the matter.

He informed the court that the trial judge, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori, had been transferred. Justice Abdul Razak Musah further noted that a notice of change of solicitors had been filed for the accused and he granted the new legal team additional time to review the case.

However, Justice Abdul Razak Musah observed that the accused had not yet filed his address, whereupon he granted him further time to do so.

And he adjourned the case to 20 January 2025.

On 3 December 2024, the Communications Department of the Judicial Service caused a publication to the effect that Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori had indeed been transferred from Kumasi to Accra as part of the 2024 beginning of the legal year transfers of more than twenty (20) judges at all levels of court.

The publication also noted that Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori had presented the list of all outstanding judgments and rulings and that she had been authorised to deliver all outstanding judgments and rulings.

The publication further indicated that on 29 November 2024, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori presented the required Case Completion Plan for a warrant to complete cases that are close to completion.

Consequently, the Office expected that Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori would deliver the judgment on 20 January 2025.

Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori eventually delivered the judgment on 26 May 2015.

The court acquitted and discharged Sarfo-Kantanka on the reasoning that the evidence did not establish that the various sums of money Sarfo-Kantanka gave to some of the delegates designated to vote on his nomination were intended

to influence them to vote for him, although the evidence included an unchallenged audio-visual recording which showed Sarfo-Kantanka demanding a refund from some of the delegates after he lost the election and admission in testimony that money changed hands between the nominee and some of the delegates.

The Office has appealed the judgment at the Court of Appeal on the grounds that the judgment cannot be supported, having regard to the evidence and that the judge erred in both law and fact.

NR/TL/HC/CCI/10/23 the Republic v Sumaila Abdul Rahman, Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen, Patrick Seidu & Andrew Kuundaari

The trial of the former Chief Executive, the former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations, the former Deputy Chief Executive in charge of finance and administration of Northern Development Authority and the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited is pending before the Criminal Division of the High Court, Tamale.

The four (4) are facing a total of eleven (11) counts of corruption and corruption-related offences comprising conspiracy to directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract, directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract, corruption by a public officer and corruption of a public officer.

On 26 April 2024, the Court dismissed an application by the accused persons on a submission of no case to answer.

The Court held that the Republic had established a prima facie case against the accused persons in respect of all the charges.

The accused persons appealed the ruling at the Court of Appeal.

The appeal is pending.

The accused persons opened their defence in October 2024.

The fourth accused will present his defence commencing on 21 October

2025.

OSP investigating 67 cases involving state and private institutions - Report

CR/0257/2024 The Republic v. Adjenim Boateng Adjei

The trial of the former Chief Executive of Public Procurement Authority is ongoing before the Criminal Division of the High Court, Accra.

Adjei has been charged with eight (8) counts of using public office for profit and directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of public contracts.

The case stands adjourned till 20 October 2025.

Other cases brought against the OSP

HR/0078/2025 Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta v Office of the Special Prosecutor & Another

The applicant, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, a former Minister of Finance, filed an originating motion on notice seeking, among others, the removal of his photograph and details from the OSP’s wanted list published on its website.

He further seeks compensation for alleged violations of his right to personal liberty and right to health.

On June 18, 2025, the court dismissed an application for an interlocutory injunction filed by the applicant to restrain the OSP from arresting him.

The substantive case continues in court and stands adjourned to 23 October 2025.

GJ/0858/2025 the republic v Circuit Court 2; ex Parte Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta (interested Party: office of the special Prosecutor)

The applicant, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, a former Minister of Finance, invoked the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court seeking to quash an arrest warrant issued against him by the Circuit Court, Accra, at the instance of the OSP.

On 31 July 2025, the High Court dismissed the application as being without merit.

HR/0101/2023 Charles Bissue v. office of the special Prosecutor

The Secretary of the disbanded Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, sued the OSP in the Human Rights Court, Accra.

Bissue alleged that the Office infringed on his human rights by investigating him, declaring him a fugitive from justice when he failed to attend the Office upon the issuance of notices to that effect, and also by issuing a warrant for his arrest.

The Office contended the suit on the ground that, except persons exempted from criminal proceedings by law, no person (including Bissue) has a right not to be investigated by the Office for suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences.

Also, the Office’s power of arrest, much like that of all law enforcement agencies, implies the power to declare a person a fugitive from justice, where, as in this case, a person evades apprehension and intentionally renders himself impossible to apprehend.

Further, the Office contended that the alleged warrant of arrest did not exist and that Bissue misrepresented facts stemming from his unsubstantiated suspicion.

On 7 November 2024, the court dismissed Bissue’s claims against the Office.

The Court found Bissue’s claims to be totally unfounded.

Subsequently, Bissue proceeded to the Supreme Court by filing a judicial review application and an injunction application to prevent the OSP from arresting him, pending the determination of the judicial review application.

The Supreme Court has prohibited the judge originally assigned to the matter.

The case is to be reassigned to a new judge.

Ofori-Atta vs OSP: Court sets June 18 for ruling on 'Wanted' motion

MRA/

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