OSP says Attorney-General has declined requests to collaborate on cases
The Office of the Special Prosecutor says it has approached the Attorney-General's office several times seeking cooperation on cases but has had some requests rejected. The OSP says not all of its interactions with other state institutions are made public.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says the Attorney-General's office has declined several requests to collaborate on cases.
Samuel Appiah Darko, the OSP's Director of Strategy, Research and Communications, made the claim during an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile programme on Saturday, August 29.
“There are instances where the OSP has approached the Attorney General's office and said, let us collaborate in this matter and we have been turned down,” he said.
Mr Appiah Darko did not identify the specific cases involved or say how many requests had allegedly been rejected.
His comments come amid concerns about the level of cooperation between the OSP and the Attorney-General's office, two institutions with important responsibilities in Ghana's criminal justice system and efforts to tackle corruption.
OSP says relationship is generally good
Mr Appiah Darko stressed that the OSP generally maintains a good working relationship with the Attorney-General and other stakeholders.
He said, however, that there had been instances in which requests for cooperation on particular cases were not accepted.
“There are so many issues the OSP has kept quiet and not talked about,” he said.
He argued that the public does not necessarily see all the interactions that take place between state institutions.
“When you are managing a state institution, a very expensive one, it is not all the information you will come out to the public to talk about,” he said.
The OSP official said some institutional engagements were deliberately kept private and that assessments of the anti-corruption agency should take account of work that may not be publicly disclosed.