AG’s Department to Take Over OSP Cases as Ordered by High Court
- Dr Justice Srem-Sai has confirmed that the AG's Department will comply with a High Court order directing it to take over all criminal prosecutions from the OSP
- The ruling requires the immediate transfer of ongoing OSP-led prosecutions to the Attorney-General’s Department
- Dr Srem-Sai has assured that the Attorney-General has no intention of defying the court and will take steps in the coming days to implement the directive
Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney-General (AG), has announced that the Attorney-General’s Department will comply with the directive of the High Court to take over all criminal prosecutions currently being handled by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
This follows a court order on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, for the AG’s Department to immediately assume control of all ongoing prosecutions spearheaded by the OSP.
Source: Facebook
In a Facebook post on Thursday, April 16, 2026, Dr Srem-Sai indicated that the AG’s Department intends to respect the ruling of the High Court in Accra.
“The Honourable Attorney-General has no intention or capacity to disobey or ignore the High Court’s order. Accordingly, the Office of the Attorney-General will, in the coming days, begin to take the necessary steps to give effect to the court’s order,” he stated.
The ruling marks a significant shift in Ghana’s anti-corruption framework, temporarily transferring prosecutorial authority from the OSP back to the Attorney-General’s Department.
Read the Facebook post below:
OSP to challenge High Court ruling
Meanwhile, the OSP has announced plans to challenge a ruling by the High Court which ordered the Attorney-General’s Department to assume control over all criminal prosecutions being handled by the office.
In a statement, the OSP insisted that the High Court had exceeded its jurisdiction.
The anti-corruption body further stated that it is actively pursuing legal remedies to have the ruling overturned as quickly as possible.
“The OSP states that it is taking steps to quickly overturn the decision of the court of general jurisdiction, since the High Court does not have jurisdiction to, in effect, strike down parts of an Act of Parliament as unconstitutional. Only the Supreme Court can do so,” the statement read.
“The OSP firmly assures the public that all criminal prosecutions it has commenced before the courts, and all criminal prosecutions it is about to commence, remain valid and will proceed based on its mandate under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which remains valid and in force, as the matter has not been determined by the Supreme Court,” it added.
Source: UGC
JSS leaver wrongly accused by OSP loses job
YEN.com.gh reported earlier that on July 24, 2024, the Office of the Special Prosecutor published the images and details of some wanted people, and Francis Asare was part of them.
Franis Asare, a Junior High School (JHS) graduate, reported to the Special Prosecutor's office only to find out he had been mistaken for someone else.
He claims employers fired him when they learned he was wanted by the OSP and is now pleading to be compensated so he can be on his feet again.
Source: YEN.com.gh
