I would employ 250 people to the Office of the Special Prosecutor soon - Agyabeng announces
- Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, says the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has only one staff on payroll with secondments
- He added that the OSP has no proper structure and departments
- Kissi Agyebeng said he would be recruiting 250 more people by January 2022
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see YEN.com.gh News on your News Feed!
Accra - Ghana's Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has revealed that the Office of the Special prosecutor has only one staff on payroll.
He, however, announced that he will be increasing the staff strength in his office from just one person on the payroll to 250 by January 2022.
In a report filed by StarrNews, he said the Office of the Special Prosecutor has no proper structure with regards to various departments and units, and he has plans of bringing life and brisk business to the office.
Source: Facebook
“There is only one person on the payroll, also the Chief Accountant who is on secondment, as well as a Police Investigator and Lawyer from the Attorney General’s office" he said.
Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!
He added that all the other people that work with his office are secondments from other offices and not one he has access to.
Nonetheless, he added that from the time he took over in August, a lot has changed in the Office of the Special Prosecutor which was earlier a 'ghost office' with little life in it.
He added that he is waiting for the Board to be sworn in for him to properly set up the office, build structures, and establish more divisions.
“We’re going to do a massive recruitment...but because I don’t have a Board, I can’t roll it out like that… because I will be acting illegally,” he stated.
Unexplained accrued wealth will be criminalised
During his vetting process, the Special Prosecutor-nominee stated that he is prepared to go after government officials who have accrued unexplained wealth.
Lawyer Kissi Agyabeng said he expects all the wealth of these government officials to come from lawful sources that equally match their income level.
He said he would be looking out in respect of the sources of income for the persons involved.
“I will be looking out in respect of the sources of that income… whatever the source of the income is; should be lawful,” he said.
When he was questioned by a member of the Appointments Committee if Ghana should criminalise unexplained wealth, he said that would depend on the defence of the person in question.
Agyebeng takes over from Amidu
President Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, August 5, 2021, officially swore into office, Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor.
Agyebeng took over from Martin Amidu, who resigned from office in November 2020, after accusing the President of interference in his work.
Amidu resigned from his position on November 16, 2020, through a letter addressed to the president, Nana Akufo-Addo.
In his letter, Amidu cited feedback on his recently submitted corruption risk assessment on Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions as one of the triggers that have got him to resign.
Source: YEN.com.gh
