Government to amend Special Prosecutor Act

The Government through the Attorney General has tabled an amendment to the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act barely two years after its passage.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (Amendment) bill, 2019, is seeking to remove a clause that bars dual citizens from occupying the office.

The move according to the deputy Attorney General Joseph Kpemka follows a judgment declaring the clause in the Act disqualifying dual citizens illegal.

Parliament in 2017 after more than 30 amendments had been made to the Bill which was laid before the House on July 19, 2017.

The purpose of the Office of the Special Prosecutor as a specialized agency is to investigate specific cases of corruption involving public officers, politically-exposed persons as well as individuals in the private sector implicated in corrupt practices and to prosecute these offences on the authority of the Attorney-General.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor is also to investigate and prosecute certain categories of cases and allegations of corruption and other criminal wrongdoing, including those involving alleged violations of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) and cases implicating public officers and politically-exposed persons.

The Office is also expected to help reduce the workload on existing investigative agencies and, thereby, enhance their effectiveness.