The Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has said the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) should not be scrapped, but must improve its performance to be effective in the fight against corruption.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, Mr Dafeamekpor made it clear that his position is not a change of stance, but a call for reforms to strengthen the institution.
“I think it should stay… it should stay,” he said.
He said that the OSP must expand its presence across the country and act more proactively, especially at the regional and district levels.
“If they can up their game, if you can open the regional offices, if you can open district offices and be checking more frequently at those levels, it shouldn’t take the Auditor-General to move from Accra… for us to be hearing the leakages a year after they have occurred,” he stated.
According to him, delays in detecting financial irregularities defeat the purpose of setting up anti-corruption institutions.
“Then we haven’t done anything,” he added.
Mr Dafeamekpor said that prevention is critical in tackling corruption and warned that the current system is too reactive.
“Prevention is key to the anti-corruption fight. You are not preventing,” he said.
On the legal dispute involving the OSP and the Attorney-General, he acknowledged the office’s decision to file a notice of appeal and seek a stay of execution, describing it as within their rights.
“It’s their right to appeal,” he said, but added that the law is clear on the effect of such actions.
“A mere filing of a process does not stay the execution of a court order,” he explained.
He advised the OSP to take steps to ensure the matter is addressed quickly by the courts.
“What they should do is to apply for an abridgement of time to have that motion for stay quickly heard,” he said.
The Majority Chief Whip added that until a stay is granted, the Attorney-General is justified in proceeding with actions related to the case.
“But until it is stayed, I believe the Attorney-General will proceed,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions of a major conflict between the two institutions, saying the situation has been overstated.
“I don’t see where the fight is. We are really creating a fight that does not exist,” he said.
