Former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Michael Aaron Oquaye, has criticised the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) detention of legal practitioner, Martin Luther Kpebu.
The former Speaker says the OSP did not have “any business” inviting the vociferous lawyer in the first place, not to talk of detaining him in its custody.
Reacting to the development on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the former Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya in Greater Accra indicated that the arrest was unfortunate, and undermines the stability needed in the country to ensure development.
“It is most unfortunate, even more so, because we need a certain amount of stability, peace, decorum, in this Republic to go about our developmental practice,” he stated.
“In the first place, the Special Prosecutor did not have any business inviting Mr. Kpebu there,” the former Speaker and lawmaker said in addition.
Prof. Oquaye added that if the Special Prosecutor, William Kissi Agyebeng, feels he has any issues with some allegations being made by Mr. Kpebu against his personality, the best thing to do is to either sue him or refer him to another agency, rather than inviting him to its outfit.
He explained that the OSP was created with a specific mandate which does not include what ensued between the Office and Mr. Kpebu on Wednesday.
“If Mr. Kpebu says you’re corrupt, you can sue him or refer him to another agency, if he thinks there is a crime, to look into that because your business is to investigate corruption. Is Mr. Kpebu being charged with corruption?” he quizzed.
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.”
