Set up statutory fund for office of Special Prosecutor - PPP Chairman

Chairman of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Nana Ofori Owusu is demanding an immediate institution of a statutory fund to resource the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

He said this will ensure prompt payment of all salary arrears and financial needs of the office and not an agreement to settle arrears as it has been done by the Finance Ministry.

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) was taken aback when it emerged that the Special Prosecutor and his Officers have not been paid their salaries for the past 16 months.

"This is very worrying and a recipe for disaster. The man who is supposed to muster courage to investigate and prosecute politically exposed persons found or accused to be corrupt is kept incapacitated by the Finance Minister refusing to pay to him what he is due. The only logical conclusion is that government is acting this way to deliberately make the OSP an ineffective organization whilst corruption continue to destroy our Nation," Nana Ofori Owusu said in a statement.

Read full statement below

INSTITUTE A STATUTORY FUND FOR OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) was taken aback when it emerged that the Special Prosecutor and his Officers have not been paid their salaries for the past 16 months.

This is very worrying and a recipe for disaster. The man who is supposed to muster courage to investigate and prosecute politically exposed persons found or accused to be corrupt is kept incapacitated by the Finance Minister refusing to pay to him what he is due. The only logical conclusion is that government is acting this way to deliberately make the OSP an ineffective organization whilst corruption continue to destroy our Nation.

The PPP is demanding for an immediate institution of a statutory fund to resource the Office of the Special Prosecutor. This will ensure prompt payment of all salary arrears and financial needs of the office and not an agreement to settle arrears as it has been done by the finance ministry.

The response of the President to this call will demonstrate whether he really committed to fight corruption or he just want to be seen to be fighting to deceive Ghanaians. Establishing a statutory fund will help the office of the Special Prosecutor adequately resourced and not have to beg for funding.

We repeat our call for a complete separation of the Office of the Minister of Justice from the Attorney Generals department and for the institutionalization of the AG to make it a non-politically aligned office, having a secure tenure of office with a dedicated source of funding to ensure that ALL persons who deserve prosecution are prosecuted without any political consideration.