Appointments Committee of Parliament will today, Thursday, July 22, 2021 vet Special Prosecutor nominee, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng.

The vetting process which will be chaired by Joseph Osei Owusu is scheduled for 10 am at the committee rooms 1,2, and 3 of the New Administration Block of Parliament House.

Private legal practitioner Kissi Agyebeng was nominated by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame as a replacement for Martin Amidu, who resigned from the position on November 16, 2020, after serving for three years.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has the mandate to investigate specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officers and politically exposed persons in the performance of their functions as well as persons in the private sector involved in the commission of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences, prosecute these offences on the authority of the Attorney-General and provide for related matters.

Functions of the Office

(a) investigate and prosecute cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences under the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663);

(b) investigate and prosecute allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) involving public officers, politically exposed persons and persons in the private sector involved in the commission of the offence;

(c) investigate and prosecute alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officers, politically exposed persons and persons in the private sector involved in the commission of the offence under any other relevant law;

(d) recover and manage the proceeds of corruption;

(e) disseminate information gathered in the course of investigation to competent authorities and other persons the
Office considers appropriate in connection with the offences specified in paragraphs (a) and (b);

(f) co-operate and coordinate with competent authorities and other relevant local and international agencies in furtherance of this Act;

(g) receive and investigate complaints from a person on a matter that involves or may involve corruption and corruption- related offences;

(h) receive and act on referrals of investigations of alleged corruption and corruption-related offences by Parliament, the Auditor-General’s Office, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Economic and
Organized Crime Office and any other public body; and

(i) perform any other functions connected with the object of the Office.

(2) The Office shall within thirty days of the

(a) conclusion of the prosecution of each case; or

(b) confiscation or realization of property under this Act, submit a written report on the outcome of the case to the Attorney-General.

(3) The Office shall, on a half yearly basis, publish the following information in at least two daily newspapers of national circulation and on the website of the Office:

(a) the list of corruption cases investigated and prosecuted by the Office; and

(b) the number of acquittals, convictions and cases pending in respect of the cases prosecuted under paragraph (a) and the value of proceeds recovered if any.