Passage of OSP Act futile — Speaker

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has reiterated that the passage of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, (Act 959) by Parliament was an “act in futility”.

He said he disagreed with the House and warned that the passage of Act 959 would not help curb corruption; yet, the House went ahead to pass it.

Antidote for corruption

In his view, what was needed to nip corruption in the bud was for the government to fund the office of the Attorney-General (A-G) well and separate the A-G and the Minister of Justice

“As for the law you passed on the Special Prosecutor, I did tell you that it was an act in futility. You were not going to achieve anything from that but you went ahead to pass it,” he said.

Speaking during the consideration of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, Mr Bagbin said: “I disagreed with you but I was alone.”

“Well, I am very clear in mind that authority is embedded in the powers of the Attorney-General constitutionally,” he stated.

New bill

During the consideration of the bill, the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, expressed his opposition to a further proposed amendment for the abhorrence of marriage or sexual intercourse between a human being and an animal to be stated categorically in the new bill.

He said Ghana had several laws against unnatural carnal knowledge in all forms, a reason there was no need for such provision in the new legislation.

However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, disagreed with the chairman.

He told the House that despite the existence of several laws against corruption in the country, the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act categorically empowers the office with the same tools and powers to fight the corruption canker.

This prompted the Speaker to voice out his long-held opposition to the creation of the OSP.