OSP’s half-yearly report: 8 Criminal cases,10 civil cases being prosecuted
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is handling eight criminal cases and 10 civil cases, which were at various stages of prosecution, according to the OSP’s Half-Yearly Report for the second half of 2025.
Additionally, the figures for persons standing trial are 33, 79 ongoing investigations, Other Cases 161 and Conviction Secured cases being seven.
The cases included high-profile criminal prosecutions involving former ministers, chief executive officers (CEO) of state institutions, senior public officers and private companies, spanning alleged corruption, abuse of public office, procurement breaches, extortion and money laundering.
The criminal prosecutions were aimed at holding offenders accountable through convictions, custodial sentences, fines and disqualifications from public office, while civil proceedings were focused on recovering stolen state funds, freezing illicit assets and restoring losses to the country.
Cases
Some of the cases included The Republic v. Kenneth Ofori-Atta & Seven Others, in which the OSP has charged eight accused persons, including a corporate entity, with 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences.
The accused included a former Minister of Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta; his former Chief of Staff, Mr Ernest Darko Akore; former Commissioners-General and senior officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); a sitting Member of Parliament; and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).
The prosecution alleged a criminal enterprise designed to unlawfully influence procurement processes for revenue assurance and audit services, resulting in an estimated financial loss of GH¢1.43 billion to the state.
The OSP said it was seeking to prove that mandatory approvals were disregarded and that public funds were paid based on false and unverified claims.
While some of the accused have been granted bail, Mr Ofori-Atta and Mr Akore have been declared fugitives, with extradition processes initiated to secure their return to the country.
More cases
Another case was The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & Nine Others, involving a former CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
The amended charge sheet lists 54 counts, including extortion, abuse of public office and money laundering, involving over GH¢291 million and US$332,000.
The OSP has confirmed the seizure and freezing of assets valued at over GH¢100 million as part of its asset recovery efforts.
Also in The Republic v. Issah Seidu & Three Others, three serving public officers and one retired officer are facing charges over an alleged attempt to unlawfully appropriate containers of imported rice at the Tema Port. Trial is expected to commence this year.
In another case involving public sector recruitment fraud, The Republic v. Ibrahim Kofi Sessah & Another, a local government technician and an accomplice are accused of selling Ghana Education Service appointment letters to over 100 applicants, allegedly laundering more than GH¢600,000.
Election-related corruption
The OSP has also pursued election-related corruption in The Republic v. Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, involving a former nominee for Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).
Although the High Court acquitted the accused, the OSP has filed an appeal, maintaining that the judgment was not supported by the evidence.
Meanwhile, the trial of a former CEO of the Public Procurement Authority, Adjenim Boateng Adjei, where he faces charges of using public office for profit and influencing procurement processes.
Per the report, the actions of the OSP formed part of a broader strategy to deter corruption, promote integrity in public administration and restore public confidence in state institutions.
The OSP reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing corruption cases “without fear or favour”, stressing that accountability remained central to safeguarding the public purse and strengthening democratic governance.
