By Kwaku Antwi-Agyei, Esq
It has just been released by the Office of The Special Prosecutor that findings from investigations into alleged corruption by Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah (Former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources) did not disclose any direct evidence of corruption.
The die is cast, and the embattled Former Minister has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
The OSP says it engaged the FBI to assist in its investigations before coming to this conclusion.
What bothers me is not the investigations itself but the hullabaloo and the noisy media trial, which characterized the whole exercise. If a sage had whispered into my ears that we would get to where we are today, I would have doubted him.
Media freedom is guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, but frankly speaking, where we are drifting as a nation as regards recent media scrutiny and trial of political Office holders, public officials, etc. even before a court of competent jurisdiction or statutory investigative bodies decide on such matters, has left so much to be desired.
The rush by the OSP to engage the media on matters of this nature contradicts strongly the statement in its report released today that the office seeks to protect the reputation of people under investigations.
Does the OSP appreciate the collateral damage caused to the NPP government during the 2024 elections because of the media brouhaha over the Cecilia Dapaah debacle.
As a political party, we, in the NPP and the prime victim of this unjust public opprobrium (Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah), cannot forgive the OSP for the drama it has created and the stage it set for the public display of the office’s ineptitude regarding this matter.
It appears to me that this OSP has become anachronistic so soon, and for that reason, it has to be scrapped immediately because the noisy media trial it has been engaged in has become one too many.
