Special Prosecutor lists corruption cases in court or under investigation; 120 others under consideration
The Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) has published its half year report ending December 2022, naming cases it was currently investigating or prosecuting and related to corruption.
The half-year report is in pursuant to section 3(3) of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which mandates the Office to publish, on a half-yearly basis, cases it was investigating or prosecuting.
120 cases
Apart from the named cases in the report, the Special Prosecutor said the Office was also investigating 120 other cases at various levels of consideration.
These would be publicised if the Special Prosecutor determines that they are within the mandate of the Office and that they should be moved past the preliminary investigation stage.
“This is a policy intended to protect the privacy of individuals and the business operations of institutions and companies, and to avoid unnecessary stigmatisation,” the OSP stated in the half year report ending December 2022 published in the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, Jan 4, 2022.
Two cases in court
There has not been any convictions or acquittals in respect of the cases pending before the criminal courts during the period under review, August 2022 to December 2022.
There are two criminal cases being tried before the courts.
Republic v. Adjenim Boateng Adjei & Another
The trial of the former Chief Executive of Public Procurement Authority and his brother-in-law is pending before the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra.
Mr. Adjei has been charged with eight counts of using public office for profit and nine counts of directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of public contracts.
His brother-in-law has been charged with one count of using public office for profit.
Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka
The trial of the President’s nominee for the position of Chief Executive of Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region is pending before the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kumasi.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka has been charged with 26 counts of corruption in respect of a public election.
Concluded Investigations
The Special Prosecutor said investigations into two cases of corruption in the use of public office for profit against former Secretary of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue and the suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in the award of a contract by the Northern Development Authority (NDA) for consultancy services under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), especially in respect of the quantum of the contract sum have been completed.
Charles Bissue
It said the Office has concluded investigation into allegations of the use of public office for profit against Charles Bissue, during his tenure as Secretary to the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), arising from an investigative documentary titled Galamsey Fraud Part I published by Tiger Eye P.I. and the investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
It said the Special Prosecutor or an authorised officer will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course.
Northern Development Authority
The Office has concluded investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of a contract awarded by the Northern Development Authority to A&QS Consortium Limited for consultancy services under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP), especially in respect of the quantum of the contract sum.
Again, in this matter too, the reported that that the Special Prosecutor or an authorised officer will issue directives and further action on the matter in due course.
Other cases
Other cases under investigation include the alleged bribery by Airbus SE, a European multinational aerospace corporation, in respect of the sale and purchase of military aircraft for the Republic of Ghana, the banking and financial sector crisis, the allegation of attempted bribery of Members of Parliament by an unnamed businessman, the alleged improper acquisition of state-protected land at the Achimota Forest enclave and the Sakumono Ramsar site by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John), a former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission and an investigation in respect of suspected corruption and corruption–related offences in respect of the recruitment exercise of Course 51 of Cadet Officers Training at the Ghana Police Academy.
The OSP said it is also investigating 120 other cases at various levels of consideration.
These would be publicised if the Special Prosecutor determines that they are within the mandate of the Office and that they should be moved past the preliminary investigation stage.
“This is a policy intended to protect the privacy of individuals and the business operations of institutions and companies, and to avoid unnecessary stigmatization,” the report by the Special Prosecutor stated.
In a preface in the report, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng stated: “Notwithstanding continuous debilitating financial and material constraints and the non-issuance of its establishment budget, the OSP has performed its fourfold functions of investigating, prosecuting, asset recovering and preventing corruption and corruption-related offences commendably.
“We are conscious of the practical consideration that we cannot snuff out corruption. There is force in that reckoning. However, as we apply well-structured systems, technology and intelligence led operations, we are rendering corruption a highly risky enterprise for the criminally-minded. As we firm up the drive against corruption and our message is registered strongly in the minds of people that sooner or later they will be arrested, prosecuted and their assets seized and confiscated to the state, the incidence of corruption will surely decline. This will restore confidence, promote the rule of law, and assure fairness and justice.’
source: graphiconline
