High Court strips OSP of prosecution powers, orders cases transferred to Attorney-General

The High Court in Accra has ordered the immediate transfer of all ongoing criminal prosecutions from the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to the Attorney-General’s Department, pending formal approval from the Attorney-General’s office.

The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, April 15, marks a major legal setback for the OSP and effectively places all its active prosecutions under the control of the Attorney-General on an interim basis.

The court further declared that all current cases initiated by the OSP are null and void, a decision that brings several ongoing and high-profile corruption-related trials across the country to an abrupt halt.

Presiding judge John Nyante Nyadu also imposed costs of GH₵15,000 against the OSP, citing procedural concerns raised during the proceedings and reinforcing the court’s position on the matter.