The Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia has assured that the government will set up the Special Prosecutor’s Office to prosecute public officials by the end of 2017.

He made this known at a regional workshop on Beneficial Ownership Transparency Champions in Accra.

According to him, amendments to the Criminal Code to make corruption a felony, instead of a misdemeanour, will also be made by the end of the year.

“These are, indeed, some of the actions we intend to implement this year,” the Vice president told participants from Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.

READ ALSO: Setting up Special Prosecutor’s office unnecessary - Batidam

The programme was organised by Transparency International (TI) and its local chapter, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), with the support of UKAid,

The purpose of the two-day seminar is to mobilise support for the sharing and use of information on beneficial ownership.

Beneficial ownership applies to the control, ownership and beneficiaries of the proceeds of a legal entity, such as a company.

Background

The move, according to Nana Addo was intended to separate politics from criminal investigations.

READ ALSO: Minority to challenge Special Prosecutor’s office in court

The Minority in Parliament has however threatened to challenge the decision by the government to create a special prosecutor’s office.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said the move will be a breach of  Ghana’s constitution.

"You cannot create this without tinkling with article 88 of the constitution.  And article 88 belongs to the executive chapter of the constitution, and that is entrenched. Therefore you cannot be seeking to review that through an act of parliament; that will be to come through the window to seek to amend a constitutional provision. We will subject that proposition to strict legal test if it includes examining it and considering a legal pronouncement at the highest level of the Supreme Court," he said.