The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has reportedly detained prominent private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu at an undisclosed location, a development that has triggered widespread alarm among lawyers, civil society organisations, and governance watchers.
The incident, which occurred on December 3, 2025, has intensified calls for transparency, as his legal team says they have no official information on the grounds for his arrest or where he is being held. The OSP has so far remained silent, issuing no statement to clarify the circumstances of the detention.
Kpebu, a celebrated constitutional lawyer and fierce anti-corruption advocate, is widely known for challenging state institutions he believes violate due process. His sudden detention has therefore raised urgent questions about whether the arrest adhered to legal and constitutional procedures.
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The development comes just days after Kpebu revealed plans to file an additional petition seeking the removal of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng. This follows President John Dramani Mahama’s referral of three existing petitions against the Special Prosecutor to the Chief Justice for review.
Speaking on Joy News on December 1, Kpebu said he would submit his own petition imminently, stressing that he had distinct grounds for seeking Agyebeng’s removal.
“I’m not behind those petitions, but I’m preparing mine. I’ll file mine latest by Wednesday,” he stated. “I have some grounds. I believe my grounds will be different. If they happen to be the same, well, the cases may be consolidated.”
Kpebu insisted his petition targets only the Special Prosecutor: “We need to get Kissi Agyebeng out of the office, he’s done too many bad things.” However, he declined to reveal the substance of his petition, citing legal restrictions.
Kpebu also recently highlighted what he described as a growing wave of civic vigilance following the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
“It just tells you that citizens have become very vigilant. Once citizens find out that these duty bearers have breached the law, then citizens have the right to present the petitions.”
Alongside the three petitions against Agyebeng, President Mahama has also referred seven petitions seeking the removal of Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies Dr. Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey.
In total, 10 petitions were forwarded to Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie for review.
Kpebu, who recently led a protest with Apostle Abraham Lincoln Larbi and other petitioners on November 25, has been a central figure in demands for accountability at the OSP.
His reported detention has now taken on national significance, further inflaming the debate over transparency, rule of law, and the future of Ghana’s anti-corruption institutions.