Accra High Court sets 7-day deadline for Attorney-General in OSP legal challenge
via GhanaWeb1 min read
An Accra High Court has granted the Attorney-General seven days to submit its statement of case in a lawsuit contesting the prosecutorial authority and legal foundation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor OSP. The suit, filed by private citizen Noah Adamtey, questions Parliament's power to establish the OSP. The court approved an extension request after state counsel cited "unavoidable administrative constraints" for the delay. Separately, Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai stated that the Attorney-General’s Department will comply with a High Court directive to take over all criminal prosecutions currently handled by the OSP. The court ruled that the OSP lacks independent prosecutorial authority, directing that all cases initiated by the anti-corruption body be referred to the Attorney-General’s Department. Presiding judge John Eugene Nyadu Nyante held that while the OSP can investigate corruption, it lacks the constitutional mandate to independently initiate prosecutions, citing Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, which vests prosecutorial authority in the Attorney-General.
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A mother is accusing her 15-year-old daughter's father, a Police Inspector stationed at Garu in the Upper East Region, of sexually abusing the girl for several years. The mother stated that the abuse began when her daughter was around 10 years old, resulting in a pregnancy for which the father allegedly arranged a home abortion. The father reportedly coached the girl to lie, even leading to the arrest of a teacher who tried to help her. The truth emerged when a doctor at a hospital encouraged the girl to speak, and she disclosed her father's involvement. The doctor reported the matter to the police, and the inspector was questioned. The girl was initially separated from her father but later returned to his care during the investigation. The mother regained custody after the father fell ill. Medical tests later confirmed the girl is HIV positive, and the mother believes the daughter contracted the virus from her father, who reportedly took medication for leg pain. The mother submitted a medical report to the Agona Jamasi Police Station, but states the case has seen little progress. The case was also reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit DOVVSU in Koforidua and referred to national headquarters, but the mother is still awaiting meaningful action.
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Must ReadThe community of Asaloko in Ghana has developed an innovative system to manage plastic waste, particularly empty water sachets, which are prevalent across the country. Residents collect these sachets and exchange them for fresh drinking water at a local company called Dem Dhat, effectively turning waste into a valuable commodity. This initiative not only saves money for families but also removes approximately 5 tonnes of sachets from the community annually. The program, which began as a hygiene-focused Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WASH intervention by WaterAid Ghana, evolved into a comprehensive waste management approach. Community members now sort waste, composting organic matter and actively cleaning their environment. While Asaloko's efforts are small-scale, experts highlight their significant implications for Ghana, where 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated yearly with less than 10 percent recycled. The traditional method of burning waste in rural areas, which releases toxic pollutants linked to 35,000 deaths annually in Ghana, is avoided in Asaloko. Despite their success, the community still faces challenges with non-recyclable items and appeals for a processing plant, estimated at GH¢224 million $US20 million, to achieve near-complete air pollution freedom. This contrasts sharply with the situation in Sherigu, where an uncompleted composting and recycling plant and a continuously burning landfill illustrate the broader waste management crisis in Ghana, exacer
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