Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye is calling for the Office of the Attorney-General (A-G) to be strengthened to prosecute corrupt public officials, rather than creating more institutions.
The former Speaker of Parliament believes Ghana is not creating strong institutions, the reason holders of certain public offices are abusing their mandate.
“People are abusing power everywhere. We don’t strengthen our institutions, we just proliferate institutions. Instead of making the Attorney-General’s office very strong to prosecute, we create something else.
“We are not creating strong institutions. We keep on just proliferating and adding and adding upon, then we get confused in the process,” he said in connection with the OSP’s arrest and detention of legal practitioner, Martin Luther Kpebu, after inviting him to the Office to aid in some ongoing investigations.
Reacting to the development on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Prof. Oquaye said “what is happening now is very unfortunate and all well-meaning Ghanaians must condemn it.”
According to him, the account of the arrest and detention is tantamount to suppressing the renowned lawyer’s freedom of speech, reemphasising that nobody can infringe on any citizen’s right to speech.
“Now because they can’t get the man on what they wanted, they say that ‘oh why did you give an interview?’ You want to suppress his freedom of speech? You cannot question his granting of interview. You cannot question any Ghanaian giving an interview with regards to any matter.”
Background
Martin Kpebu was detained by the OSP for nearly five hours before he was released on Wednesday night, December 3, 2025. This was after he had been accused of obstructing an officer of the Special Prosecutor same day.
In an interview with TV3 after his release, Mr Kpebu said his detention was needless.
“I know I have not done anything wrong, so I will be released,” he said.
He confirmed that he had an altercation with a military officer at the OSP. “The military officer said I am stupid, and I also said he is stupid. So we exchanged words,” he recalled.
According to him, “my arrest is a confirmation that Kissi Agyebeng is incompetent.”
Mr Kpebu reiterated his resolve to petition President Mahama for the removal of Kissi Agyebeng from Office as Special Prosecutor. “I will petition for his removal. I have 15 allegations against him,” he stated.
Earlier, news broke that the Office of the Special Prosecutor had detained Mr Kpebu at an undisclosed location.
One of his lawyers gave a blow-by-blow account on circumstances leading to his arrest and subsequent detention by officials of the OSP.
According to Marcellinus Biah, the OSP officials charged Mr. Kpebu with obstructing an officer of the Special Prosecutor.
Here is a verbatim account as narrated by Mr. Biah in an interview on TV3’s News360 on December 3.
“So, this afternoon at about two o’clock, we attended the invitation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to assist them in investigations. So, while we were at the premises, Martin granted an interview outside the premises of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and returned. So, it appears that one of the officers, that is, the police officer at the gate was not too happy with Martin granting an interview outside the premises of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Martin actually telling him that, no, there was nothing wrong with him granting an interview and subsequently attending to the inquiry.
He continued that, “And so there was some amount of altercation between, verbal exchange between him and then the officer. Thereafter, Martin proceeded to attend to the inquiry committee. So while we were, I mean, having discussions with the inquiry committee, in the course of that they told Martin that he had actually obstructed an officer of the Special Prosecutor and for that matter, he was going to be charged.
Meanwhile, let me be quick to add that when the altercation took place, Martin was first to even request to make a complaint against the third officer. But we’re told that the complaint center was not available to take our complaints. So, Martin proceeded to the inquiry board committee and presented a complaint before them.”
That’s the charge. Yes. So eventually they said he was briefly admitted to bail. In addition to that, he was to present one surety. So, I quickly drove back to the office, which is just about 10 minutes’ drive.
They whisked him away. As we speak now, we are unable to tell where Mr Kpebu is.”
