Dominic Ayine, AG
Tensions appear to be simmering between the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Attorney-General’s Department (AG) over the handling of investigations and extradition processes involving former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta.
Although both institutions have dismissed suggestions of animosity, public pronouncements by officials of both offices indicate that delays in the transmission of investigative documents from the OSP to the AG have sparked public speculation about a rift.
According to Samuel Appiah Darko, Director of Strategy, Research & Communication at the OSP, the office is finalising investigations into multiple corruption-related cases involving Mr Ofori-Atta and other individuals. The Office is expected to submit the necessary documents to the Attorney-General this week to facilitate an extradition process.
Conflict
He emphasised that the matter is not one of conflict but timing, stressing that the OSP has been focused on completing its investigations and preparing related charges. “The OSP operates independently with investigative and prosecutorial powers within its mandate, and these processes take time,” a source noted.
However, the Attorney-General is said to be facing growing public pressure to act, especially concerning the ORAL matter, which has attracted significant political attention. The OSP, for its part, insists that investigations must be completed before any extradition or prosecution can be properly pursued.
Concerns
Meanwhile concerns have also been raised about a partial leakage of official correspondence between the two institutions, which the OSP has described as troubling.
The leak reportedly contained sensitive details about OSP officers and internal communications, potentially endangering staff and fuelling perceptions of political interference.
“The OSP would never compromise the safety of its officers or jeopardise a case it has pursued diligently since February,” Mr Darko said, adding that the leaked documents did not include a key September letter from the Attorney-General requesting a progress update.
Trajectory
According to the OSP on 2 June, the office wrote to the government seeking clarification on its position regarding the extradition of Mr Ofori-Atta. The following day, the Chief of Staff instructed the Attorney-General to cooperate with the OSP’s request.
Subsequently, on 13 June, the AG requested details of the OSP officers handling the extradition and a copy of the case docket. The OSP responded on 20 June, naming its team and confirming that evidence from seized computers and documents from SML was still being analysed and would be included in its final report. In September, the AG again wrote to the OSP for an update, suggesting that even a preliminary report could assist in advancing the extradition process. That correspondence, notably, was not leaked to the public.
According to the OSP, the office is now completing its investigative report for submission to the AG to enable the next phase of legal action.
“There is no delay or unwillingness,” one official said. “The Office is simply finishing the work to ensure the case is comprehensive and prosecutable.”
The ongoing exchanges between the OSP and the AG highlight the delicate coordination required between Ghana’s two key prosecutorial institutions, especially in politically sensitive cases such as that of Kenneth Ofori-Atta.
