The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng is unhappy over what he said is low allocation of resources for his office in the 2022 budget statement and economic policy proposal of the ruling government.
As earlier indicated by Mr. Agyebeng after he was sworn into office by President Akufo-Addo, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is challenged and needs a lot of funds to conduct the work it was set up to do.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra to commemorate international anti-corruption day, the Special Prosecutor has noted that the funds allocated for his office in the 2022 budget is inadequate.
“Without money, we can’t do anything. We will be reduced to writing long letters without any force because we need money for everything especially our operations and the question as to whether what was allotted to the OSP is sufficient, I will say generally in Ghana nothing is sufficient, and what was put there I have seen,” Kissi Agyebeng told journalists today.
Admitting that the allocation didn’t meet his expectation, Mr. Agyebeng said he will continue to push to receive additional money from government to help operationalise his office.
“It doesn’t much up to my expectations but cannot give up. I will continue pushing the envelope. I see things written on paper but I will keep asking and I will keep pushing so that we can get what we require to establish and operationalise this office to work,” the Special Prosecutor noted.
Among many other things, Kissi Agyebeng indicated that the OSP needs resources to establish a running finance, administration, operations, investigations, prosecutions, strategy communications, assets recovery, and a management department to fight corruption in the country.
Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor has disclosed that his outfit is currently investigating 31 active cases and will soon go to court to seek prosecution.
By Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo