Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, the second holder of the Office of Special Prosecutor, was sworn into office by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during a brief ceremony at Jubilee House, the nation’s presidential residence, on Thursday, August 5, 2021.

“It is evident that Mr. Kissi Agyebeng is perfectly suited to hold the Office of Special Prosecutor,” President Akufo-Addo said, citing the new Special Prosecutor’s vast educational and professional legal experience. He possesses the necessary talent, experience, values, and intellectual power to succeed in this critical position.”

The President congratulated Mr. Kissi Agyebeng on his appointment, saying that the “wide acceptance of his nomination by the Ghanaian citizens, as well as the nature of his performance during Parliament’s approval process, are, for me, indications that the confidence I reposed in him to discharge one of the most critical functions of State, was not misplaced.”

The President told the crowd, which included Chief of Staff Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, and MP for Mpraeso Hon. Davis Opoku Ansah, that the creation of the Office of Special Prosecutor was born out of a commitment to fashion an additional instrument to combat the canker of corruption.

“The nomination of a very senior figure from the opposing party to establish and lead this very significant Office demonstrated the sincerity of that commitment to establish an independent, nonpartisan body with the relevant professional capability to lead the fight and hold public officials, past and present, accountable for their stewardship of public finances. As you are all aware, this nomination was met with fierce opposition from a number of members on both sides of the aisle,” he said.

“Despite the tragic events that led to the resignation of the first occupant of the Office, I do not regret making that appointment,” President Akufo-Addo added. As President of the Republic, I made certain that the Office had the resources to carry out its duty.

I am, however, comforted by the oft-quoted adage that “it is pointless to mourn over spilled milk.”

Thus, when Attorney General and Minister for Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame moved on April 16, 2021, to nominate Mr. Kissi Agyebeng as the second occupant of the Office of Special Prosecutor under section 13(3) of Act 959, the President indicated that he had little hesitation in accepting the nomination.

He encouraged Mr. Kissi Agyebeng to remember at all times that the Office has a huge duty to fight corruption independently and impartially, describing the Office’s mandate as wide and difficult.

“I want to assure Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, as I did his predecessor, that the Executive, including the Attorney General, will not only scrupulously respect the independence of his Office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is necessary to enable him to discharge his high duties effectively, in the best interests of the Ghanaian people.

Indeed, all state institutions would work and cooperate with him in the same spirit that he expressed during his approval processes in Parliament,” President Akufo-Addo promised.

While recognizing that the Office of Special Prosecutor’s efforts, no matter how robust, would not be enough to solve the corruption problem, the President asked other government agencies to work with the incoming Special Prosecutor.

“The Auditor General, Parliament, the Judiciary, the Police Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights, and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), will continue to receive increased fiscal support from the government.” he said.