Professor Ransford GyampoProfessor Ransford Gyampo, acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to act with impartiality in its ongoing probe into former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking on TV3’s KeyPoints programme on Saturday, June 21, Prof Gyampo cautioned that any hint of personal bias could harm the reputation of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng.
“I hope the OSP is not motivated by vendetta,” Prof Gyampo said during a panel discussion on the topic ‘Ofori-Atta Vs OSP’.
His remarks followed growing public debate over the OSP’s decision to declare Ofori-Atta wanted after he failed to appear for questioning. Critics have suggested that the OSP could have pursued alternative means to obtain the necessary information, including virtual interrogation or dispatching officials to meet the former minister abroad.
Notably, Ofori-Atta’s legal team had proposed a video conferencing arrangement due to his health challenges, but the OSP declined, arguing that he had not yet been formally charged. There were also suggestions that the OSP could conduct the interrogation in person abroad, but this was dismissed on grounds of cost to the taxpayer.
In light of these developments, Prof Gyampo stressed the need for clarity regarding Ofori-Atta’s medical status. “It is important to find out if Mr Ofori-Atta is not sick. Because being sick is not an easy matter,” he said.
He also questioned the OSP’s track record, drawing parallels with past high-profile investigations that began with intensity but failed to produce concrete outcomes. “And the OSP, they have in the past started so dramatically but, in the end, we saw nothing. Look at the Cecilia Dapaah case,” he remarked.
The OSP is currently investigating Mr. Ofori-Atta over a number of significant cases dating from his time in office under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The investigations span multiple sectors and include matters related to procurement, public finance, and high-level government contracts.
