Mail voting questions surge after emergency Supreme Court ruling

On August 26, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced that the Supreme Court's July 29 ruling confirming the constitutionality of the Office of the Special Prosecutor's (OSP) prosecutorial mandate had resolved a significant legal dispute. The Supreme Court, in a unanimous 7-0 decision, affirmed the OSP's authority under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), as well as its governing legislative instruments. This decision overturned previous court rulings questioning the OSP's powers.

Previously, on April 15, 2026, an Accra High Court had struck down parts of Act 959, ruling that the OSP lacked an independent prosecutorial mandate. This decision invalidated OSP prosecutions and nullified convictions and asset recoveries. The OSP's operations were subsequently halted as other courts adjourned proceedings pending the Supreme Court's ruling.

Agyebeng highlighted the OSP's performance, noting that as of December 31, 2025, the Office was handling 33 prosecutions, with 79 cases at the full investigation stage and 161 at the preliminary investigation level. The OSP had also secured seven convictions and recovered financial assets totaling GH¢8.5 million and $2 million. Beyond investigations and prosecutions, the OSP has engaged in asset recovery and corruption prevention efforts, including safeguarding the Tema Oil Refinery and improving reforms in government payroll systems.

Agyebeng emphasized that the OSP's impact should be evaluated based on tangible outcomes like investigations, prosecutions, asset recovery, and financial savings, not solely on public opinion or political sentiment. He stressed that the Supreme Court's decision now provides a definitive answer to questions about the OSP's constitutional authority to independently prosecute corruption cases.