Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has ignited a major national debate after declaring that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has no constitutional basis, arguing that its formation was driven more by political signalling than legal grounding.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, December 4, 2025, Bagbin insisted that the creation of the OSP was primarily intended to demonstrate Ghana’s commitment to combating corruption, rather than being rooted in constitutional provisions.
“A number of us stated on the floor of this House that it has no constitutional basis but we wanted to signal to the world that we are going to fight corruption,” he said.
“We Cannot Continue Funding an Office Without Results” — Bagbin
The Speaker noted that the performance of the OSP since its establishment has proven critics right, stressing that the state cannot continue allocating significant public funds to an institution that has failed to deliver measurable outcomes.
“At the end of the day, we have seen the results and we cannot continue to allocate that huge sums to the same office when we are not getting the results. This is one of the agencies we should be looking at.”
His remarks came during a heated parliamentary debate on the constitutionality and effectiveness of the OSP.
Controversial Arrest of Lawyer Martin Kpebu Sparks Outrage
The discussion in Parliament was fuelled by the OSP’s widely criticized arrest and detention of private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, on December 3, 2025.
Kpebu had been invited by the OSP to assist with investigations into corruption allegations he made against the Special Prosecutor. However, an altercation between him and an OSP officer led to his arrest on grounds of allegedly obstructing an officer.
He was detained at an undisclosed location, information unknown even to his legal team, before later being granted bail requiring a surety with landed property. Hours afterwards, he was released.
Majority Chief Whip Accuses OSP of Abuse of Power
Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor condemned the arrest in strong terms, accusing the OSP of weaponizing its authority against citizens.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor has abused his powers in this matter… If he continues to abuse its powers then we may have to abrogate it,” he warned.
Dafeamekpor called for the Special Prosecutor to appear before Parliament to explain why such an arrest was carried out under what he described as “flimsy” and “whimsical” circumstances.
“This House shall be inviting him to brief the House on the circumstances under which he would detain a citizen under such untenable conditions.”
He added that public reaction nationwide showed widespread disapproval of the OSP’s conduct.
Future of the OSP in Question
The intensifying scrutiny from Parliament has brought the future of the Office of the Special Prosecutor into question. With Speaker Bagbin flagging constitutional concerns and MPs from both sides criticizing its operations, discussions about restructuring, or even dissolving the OSP may soon reach the legislative agenda.
The Special Prosecutor is expected to be summoned by Parliament in the coming days to address the concerns surrounding the arrest and the broader operations of the Office.
