The Supreme Court has adjourned indefinitely an application by the Office of the Special Prosecutor seeking to quash the High Court ruling which ordered the OSP to transfer all cases to the Attorney General and further directed the office to acquire authorisation before prosecuting.
On April 15, the High Court presided over by Justice Eugene Nyantei Nyadu gave the orders to the OSP after an accused person in the rice scandal, Peter Archibald Hyde challenged the authority of the OSP to prosecute the case.
The remaining accused persons are Alhaji Seidu of the National Insurance Commission, James Keck Osei, a former director at the Office of the Vice President, and Customs officer, John Abban.
They are alleged to have conspired to unlawfully seize containers using forged documents and a falsified letter purportedly issued by the Office of the Vice President.
In his ruling, Justice Nyadu Nyantei indicated that despite having the mandate to investigate corruption-related offences, the Office of the Special Prosecutor does not have the authority to initiate prosecutions without prior authorisation from the Attorney-General.
Several cases being prosecuted by the OSP including the SML Company Ltd, former NPA boss Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and Charles Bissue have been affected by the High Court’s decision.
Director of prosecution at the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Dr Isidore Tufuor in an interview with TV3 noted that the accused persons (interested parties) have been evading service and hence haven’t been able to be served with the processes.
By Laud Adu-Asare
