You’re there to fight corruption, not sell ice cream – NPP communicator slams Kissi Agyebeng

A member of the communication team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawuratu Musah-Saaka, has taken a swipe at the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, over the former’s recent criticism of the judiciary for supposedly meddling in investigations by his office, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

Speaking during a panel discussion on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, Musah-Saaka said that when the Special Prosecutor came into office, he put himself out as a commando against corruption but is now lamenting after a few issues.

She indicated that Kissi Agyebeng should man up because he is not in office to sell sweets and he is going to be faced with several bigger challenges than the ones he is complaining about now.

“If you come into an office and you tout yourself as the spirit and conscience of the nation, you must be ready to brace the storm.

“It is corruption you’re going to fight; with all due respect, it is not ice cream you are going sell,” she said on the programme.

Musah-Saaka, who is also the Deputy Executive Secretary at the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSRC), also indicated that the OSP is facing a lot of challenges because Kissi Agyebeng has failed to engage all the stakeholders in the fight against corruption, including the judiciary.

“So, if you get to an office, you need to really look at how you would manage your stakeholders. But if you go and tout yourself as the spirit and conscience of the nation… people have that attitude of watching you prove that you are really the conscience of the nation.

“Other institutions are involved in this fight against corruption. How have you collaborated with them? How have you engaged with them?… the judiciary is a major stakeholder, how have you engaged them?” she quizzed.

Background:

Kissi Agyebeng criticised courts in Ghana for meddling in the work of his office - the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

Speaking to the media at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, Kissi Agyebeng bemoaned the continuous injunction of investigations of the OSP by justices of the courts.

He said that the court’s responsibility is to interpret the laws of Ghana and not to determine who should be investigated by the investigative bodies in the country, including the OSP.

He said that it was totally wrong for the court to stop the investigations by the OSP, adding that it sets a bad precedent for criminal investigations in the country.

“… the duty and mandate of the courts is to apply and enforce the laws of the Republic and not to clothe persons with immunity from criminal investigations and prosecution. A court cannot injunct the OSP from investigating or prosecuting any person.

“The decision to investigate and prosecute lies with the investigation and prosecution authorities such as the OSP and the OSP has at all material times carried out its power to investigate with candour and professionalism being minded of the rights of suspects under its investigation,” he said.

He added that the decision by the court to stop two of its investigations is detrimental to the fight against corruption and could lead to even murderers seeking injunctions from being investigated.

“The danger of this startling decision is once again obvious. A judge has granted two persons immunity from investigation for suspected corruption and corruption-related offences and hence immunity from prosecution.

“This decision opens up a calamitous deluge as every person under criminal investigation would be encouraged to take out suits to injunct investigation and prosecution bodies from investigating and prosecuting them. The real and present danger looms largely on the consideration that by so doing, persons under investigation would conscript the judiciary to clothe them with immunity from investigation and prosecution,” he said.

The Special Prosecutor said that investigations should be allowed to continue so that the court can make judgments on the findings.

Watch Lawuratu Musah-Saaka's remarks in the video below:

It's corruption we're fighting, not selling ice cream - Lawuratu Musah-Saaka hits back at Kissi Agyebeng over his latest comments on the fight against corruption#GoodMorningGhana #MetroTV pic.twitter.com/DVHGhqcaGv

— Metro TV Ghana (@metrotvgh) December 4, 2023

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