Renowned legal scholar and governance advocate Professor Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has defended the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) amidst growing public scepticism about its effectiveness in combating corruption.
In a hard-hitting commentary published online, Kwaku Azar pushed back against narratives that dismiss the OSP as ‘all talk and no action,’ insisting that the institution has delivered significant results and deserves more support than scorn.
Responding to critics who argue that the OSP has failed to live up to its mandate, Kwaku Azar listed a series of achievements chalked up by the office under Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.
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“They say the OSP is all talk and no action. Really?” he asked rhetorically. “Seven convictions secured, millions recovered through plea bargains, eight criminal trials ongoing, 67 active investigations, and shady contracts worth over GH₵280 million blocked.”
He also noted that the OSP has disrupted major corruption networks within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Education Service (GES), adding that ‘top-tier cases’ have been referred to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for further action.
According to Professor Asare, the real threat to the OSP is not a lack of performance but deliberate efforts to delegitimise the institution through propaganda and partisan hypocrisy.
“Looters and their apologists seek to delegitimise the OSP by branding it as ineffective, eroding public confidence before its efforts can bear full fruit. We demand justice, but only when their people are in the dock,” he wrote.
He condemned what he termed a culture of selective outrage, where political affiliations determine public reactions to anti-corruption efforts. “When it’s our opponents, it’s looting. When it’s our own, it’s political persecution,” he added.
While defending the OSP, Kwaku Azar pointed out structural challenges within Ghana’s justice system that hinder anti-corruption prosecutions. He warned that no anti-corruption effort can succeed if the courts remain a haven for delay tactics, adjournments, vacations, and endless interlocutory appeals.
He criticised the lack of strict case timelines, poor case management, and what he described as loopholes that allow looters to exploit the law.
“Right now, the system is tilted in favour of the looter,” he asserted.
The legal scholar reiterated the position of the Governance for Good (GOGO) movement, which has long advocated for comprehensive reforms in the judicial process for financial crimes.
He stressed the need for a broader approach to fighting corruption, one that combines prosecution, recovery, prevention, and institutional reform.
“Take a holistic view: Prosecution, recovery, prevention, and reform must go hand in hand. Let’s fix the courts, not just blame the watchdog. If we can’t help fight corruption, the least we can do is not fight those fighting it,” he stressed.
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Kwaku Azar writes
They say the OSP is all talk and no action. Really?
✅ 7 convictions, with millions recovered through plea bargains
✅ 8 criminal trials ongoing in courts across Ghana
✅ 67 active investigations in progress
✅ Over ₵135 million saved, and ₵280 million in shady contracts blocked
✅ Major corruption rings disrupted at Customs and GES
✅ Top-tier cases referred to EOCO for recovery and further action
But as the saying goes, “Give a dog a bad name and hang him.”
But this isn’t just noise. It’s a deliberate strategy. Looters and their apologists seek to delegitimize the OSP by branding it as ineffective, eroding public confidence before its efforts can bear full fruit.
And sadly, it works because we want accountability, but not for our people.
We demand justice, but only when their people are in the dock.
We’ve been expertly psyched, weaponized by propaganda, to see every attempt to hold our favorite politician accountable as “witch-hunting.”
When it’s our opponents, it’s looting.
When it’s our own, it’s political persecution.
This culture of selective outrage, blind loyalty, and moral hypocrisy must die. Because accountability is not a witch-hunt. It is a constitutional value. And public office is not a license to loot. It is a sacred trust to serve.
Let the chips fall where they may, even if they fall on those we once hailed.
Yes, the OSP is not perfect. No institution is. But let’s be honest: no anti-corruption effort can succeed if the courts remain a safe haven for delay tactics, adjournments, vacations, and endless interlocutory appeals.
That’s why GOGO has consistently emphasized: Prosecution alone won’t match the scale of looting unless we reform the judicial process for financial crimes.
Right now, the system is tilted in favor of the looter:
👎 Trials take years to conclude
👎 Frivolous objections and procedural gimmicks delay justice
👎 The judiciary goes on mandatory vacation for 3 months — not counting holidays
👎 No strict timelines. No real case management. No anti-delay safeguards
Looters don’t just break the law, they exploit it.
So yes, hold the OSP accountable but also hold the system accountable.
Take a holistic view: Prosecution, recovery, prevention, and reform must go hand in hand.
Let’s fix the courts, not just blame the watchdog.
And above all, let’s support institutions like the OSP to do their work. Even if we can’t cheer them on, let’s not become echo chambers for the very people they are trying to hold accountable.
If we can’t help fight corruption, the least we can do is not fight those fighting it.
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