Stop the press conferences and show us results — Takyi Samuel to OSP

NPP Youth Organizer for the Biakoye Constituency, Takyi Samuel, has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to focus on delivering concrete results in corruption investigations rather than the repeated press conferences.

According to him, Ghanaians want to see investigations translated into prosecutions, convictions where wrongdoing is established, and the recovery of public funds lost through corruption.

Speaking on the Bubune Morning Show, hosted by Nana Yaw Asiamah, Takyi said the credibility of Ghana’s anti-corruption institutions would depend largely on their ability to produce tangible outcomes.

“Power has been given to you, yet you only hold press conferences. Power was given to you so that we would see cases resolved, like, ‘Oh, this person was jailed, or this one wasn’t guilty.’ That is what we want to see, not daily talks and press conferences,” he said.

Takyi said his criticism of the OSP was not personal but stemmed from what he described as a lack of visible results from corruption investigations.

Asked to rate his level of trust in the OSP on a scale of one to ten, he said it was extremely low.

“If you ask me to rate my trust on a scale of 1 to 10, it doesn’t even reach 0.4,” he stated.

He argued that investigators should gather sufficient evidence before making extensive public pronouncements about cases, insisting that strong evidence would make prosecution more effective.

“By that time, he would have gathered concrete evidence. So you see, with the evidence in hand, no matter what, any smart lawyer will win the case,” Takyi said.

He maintained that repeatedly announcing allegations before investigations are concluded could create public expectations that may ultimately not be met if the evidence presented in court is insufficient.

Takyi also questioned the government's political will to investigate and prosecute members of its own political establishment when allegations of corruption arise.

“Does the government have the political will to do what is right? Can they prosecute their own people?” he asked.

According to him, corruption should not be treated as a partisan issue because public funds belong to all Ghanaians.

“As for corruption, it will go a long way to affect all of us because it is our tax money being used. Anything that happens, it’s our money being spent,” he said.

He therefore called for thorough investigations into allegations irrespective of the political affiliation of individuals who may be implicated.

Takyi said both NPP and NDC members could potentially be involved in wrongdoing, and that the appropriate response should be an independent investigation capable of establishing the facts.

“Maybe NDC members are involved, maybe NPP members are involved. Unless a thorough investigation is done, where government officials benefited, we must address it,” he stated.

He also agreed that Parliament’s Energy Committee had a responsibility to properly scrutinise documents and transactions falling under its oversight responsibilities.

Takyi, however, said parliamentary oversight should not replace criminal investigations where there are allegations of corruption or unlawful financial dealings.

He further called for the recovery of any public funds found to have been wrongfully obtained, alongside criminal prosecution where the evidence supports it.

“Their money must be recovered. I don’t just prescribe jail. We should retrieve the money and also send them to jail,” he said.

Takyi argued that imprisonment without recovering allegedly misappropriated funds could send the wrong signal to potential offenders.

He said recovering the money and imposing the appropriate criminal sanctions would provide a stronger deterrent and demonstrate that corruption carries serious consequences.

The NPP youth organiser also expressed concern about what he described as a decline in public confidence in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts, citing previous cases where investigations generated significant public attention but failed to produce outcomes that satisfied the public.

He maintained that even two or three successful cases backed by strong evidence could significantly improve public confidence in anti-corruption institutions.

“If you jail someone here and get results there, even two cases with solid evidence will serve as an example. Then anyone planning to commit a crime will hesitate, thinking, ‘Chale, these people are serious!’ They will advise themselves,” he said.

Takyi said the fight against corruption would require political leaders to be willing to act against their own allies when evidence establishes wrongdoing.

He used an analogy to argue that governments should not protect their own political supporters while punishing people associated with opposing political parties.

“If your child does something wrong, you want to protect them. But when someone else’s child in the neighbourhood does wrong, you beat them. In that case, you are not being fair,” he said.

Looking ahead to the 2028 elections, Takyi said he would expect any future government led by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to pursue unresolved corruption cases regardless of whether members of the NPP are implicated.

He argued that prosecuting members of one's own party, where evidence establishes wrongdoing, could strengthen rather than weaken a government’s credibility.

“If Bawumia comes to power and remains firm and fair, investigating cases even if his party members are involved, and jails them and retrieves the money, it will be a plus for the government, and people will vote for the NPP,” he said.

Takyi maintained that Ghanaian voters are capable of looking beyond partisan considerations when assessing the performance of governments.

He said citizens ultimately want a government that can protect public resources, punish wrongdoing and deliver development.

He therefore urged anti-corruption institutions and political leaders to move beyond public statements and demonstrate their commitment through concrete action.

According to him, Ghanaians do not simply want to hear that investigations are ongoing; they want to see credible investigations completed, evidence tested, offenders prosecuted where appropriate, and public funds recovered.

“Crime must be punished,” Takyi stressed.

   Comments0