The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia North, Baffuor Awuah, has expressed serious concerns about the effectiveness of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), questioning whether the institution was fulfilling its core mandate of protecting the public purse.

Addressing the media, the MP argued that the OSP appeared to have “lost sight of its central objective,” especially regarding its responsibility to investigate and prosecute breaches of the Public Procurement Act — an area he described as the most critical gateway to corruption and misuse of public funds.

Mr Awuah emphasised that public procurement remained the largest expenditure channel of government, making it essential for the OSP to focus significant investigative effort on procurement breaches cited in the Auditor-General’s report.

He noted that despite repeated recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the years, no prosecution had been conducted by the OSP on procurement-related offences, a development he described as “deeply troubling.”

“The Auditor-General’s report provides prima facie evidence of corruption and procurement violations. It should be the OSP’s primary guide — not media publications and whistleblowing reports,” the MP insisted.

He argued that although whistleblowing and media reports were important, they had to serve as secondary leads, not the main basis for investigations.

According to him, the Auditor-General’s annual reports already contained clear, well-documented breaches that fell squarely within the OSP’s legal mandate.

Mr Awuah called for a comprehensive review of the OSP, stressing that its lack of action on documented procurement violations raised questions about its operational clarity and commitment to its founding purpose.

“If the OSP is not prosecuting cases highlighted by the Auditor-General, then what exactly is it doing? The office must realign itself with its mandate. Protecting the public purse begins with public procurement oversight,” he asserted.

The MP’s comments add to growing public debate about the OSP’s impact since its establishment.

Civil society groups, anti-corruption advocates, and segments of the public have similarly questioned the pace and scope of prosecutions undertaken by the Kissi Agyebeng-led OSP, especially in relation to financial irregularities highlighted annually by state oversight institutions.

Mr Awuah urged the government and relevant stakeholders to intervene by strengthening the office or reassessing its operational model to ensure it effectively performed the role for which it was created.