Winning the War on Corruption Requires Radical Methods – Special Prosecutor

The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has called for a rethink of Ghana’s approach to combating corruption, calling for a shift to radical methods to achieve results.

He urged stakeholders to abandon foreign theoretical models and embrace strategies rooted in the country’s unique socio-cultural context.

Speaking at the opening of the West Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Policy Dialogue in Accra on June 2, 2025, Agyebeng argued that the current anti-corruption measures are not yielding the desired results because they fail to reflect the realities of Ghanaians.

“Theories do not match what is currently happening in practice. Corrupt actors are becoming very ingenious. We cannot continue along the same path in addressing our assigned task,” he said.

The Special Prosecutor stressed the need for a context-specific and functionally grounded strategy that links anti-corruption efforts directly to Ghana’s development priorities, such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

“Corruption is stifling us. We cannot enhance access to education and healthcare for women based on the way we are fighting corruption now. The theories are not reflecting what we are encountering on the ground,” he indicated.

He called for a comprehensive review of the fight against corruption.

He advocated for methods that moves beyond abstract models but instead confronts the specific challenges facing the country.

“If we reconceptualise the fight against corruption and ground it in a functionally specific way in our current context, we can address the problem more effectively. How do we fight corruption in such a way that the education of girls and healthcare for women would be well-founded and protected,” he said.

As part of this shift, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has submitted formal proposals to the Constitutional Review Committee, advocating for a dedicated chapter in the constitution on anti-corruption.

The West Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Policy Dialogue brought together policymakers, civil society actors, and international partners to discuss regional strategies for tackling corruption.

Credit: ghanaweb.com