Dr Justice Edem Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney-General, has said the security agency chosen to lead investigations into the AKSA energy bribery scandal was selected based on the legal mandates of the respective institutions and the range of offences that may arise from the matter.
This, he says, is why the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), rather than the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), was chosen to lead Ghana’s investigations into the scandal.
According to him, the allegations go beyond bribery and corruption and extend to potential money laundering. This is why EOCO was given the mandate, given the fact that it falls within its remit.
“It’s also not true that it is just about bribery and corruption. It’s also about money laundering. So there are other offences involved in it that do not necessarily fall within the mandate of OSP but which fall within the mandate of EOCO,” he said on JoyNews Monday, August 17, 2026.
He dismissed claims that the OSP has been sidelined in the investigations to avoid scrutiny, but rather, which body the constitution mandates to handle the matter, adding that they will collaborate where necessary.
“It is not a question of ‘I want to do it, I want to do it.’ Yes, you want to do it, but who has the mandate to do what ought to be done? It could be that they can collaborate. It could also be that BNI will take over the whole thing. It could also be that the police would have done their work,” he stated.
Dr. Srem-Sai explained that the focus is for the Government to get the appropriate agency to conduct the investigations rather than creating competitions among state agencies.
“It is not a question of a turf war. Because the essence of all these agencies is to fight corruption and to make sure that crime does not survive in glory,” he said.
On whether EOCO is more experienced to handle the matter than the OSP, the Deputy A-G said the Economic and Organised Crime Office is more experienced.
“I think the record will show – EOCO’s work over the years,” he said.
He argued that the agency’s longer institutional history gives it considerable experience in dealing with economic and organised crime.
“It’s an institution which – the older the institution, the more efficient and more likely it is to be,” he added.
His comments follow criticism of the OSP’s handling of the AKSA case, after legal practitioner, Martin Luther Kpebu, had questioned the Office’s capacity to conduct an impartial probe into the matter.
Mr Kpebu has also alleged that the case was suppressed under former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu’s leadership.
Dr Srem-Sai also rejected calls for the investigation to be transferred to an independent body to boost public confidence. According to him, institutional independence alone does not guarantee an effective investigation or one free from interference.
“I understand these concerns,” he said.
“But you see the work we do here – there’s only one person on top of you as far as this Ministry is concerned. Even that person, my boss, cannot just sit down and ignore everything that is happening and just take a decision.”
He therefore maintained that the focus should be on the capacity and effectiveness of investigative institutions rather than simply whether an agency is described as independent.
The local investigation follows the conviction in the United States of Kwaku Asante Berko, a former Goldman Sachs banker and former Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery, over a bribery scheme linked to a power plant project in Ghana.
US$1m power plant bribery scandal: ‘Corruption is becoming a norm in Ghana’ – Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe
