An anti-corruption Office should not be controlled by government - Mary Addah

Mary Awalena Addah emphasised the need for independence in anti-corruption institutions on Saturday on JoyNews' Newsfile programme, warning that government control undermines their effectiveness. She said that civil society concluded that "the fight against corruption could be strengthened by separating investigatory and prosecutorial functions," but this could not be achieved due to constitutional issues.

Addah traced the origins of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to early proposals under the NACA framework. In its first fully operational year, the OSP expanded its caseload from 27 to 167 cases, recovered GH₵35 million, and prevented potential losses exceeding GH₵7.18 billion. Public confidence in the OSP remains strong, with 77.7% of citizens surveyed insisting that an independent anti-corruption office should not be controlled by the government. Additionally, 55.2% of respondents identified the OSP as the most trusted institution to investigate and prosecute corruption.

Addah criticised political efforts to undermine the OSP, noting that both previous and current administrations have sought to limit its influence through court challenges or legislative changes. She stressed that such distractions divert the office from its primary mandate of investigating corruption, monitoring procurement, and preventing future abuses.