We’re facing doom in the fight against corruption – OSP fumes on La Bianca ruling

The OSP said the court’s ruling granting immunity to the aforementioned two persons is a slap in the face in the fight against corruption.

According to Kissi Agyebeng, the ruling will erode the progress made in the fight against corruption.

"The danger of this startling decision is again quite obvious. A judge has in the process granted two persons immunity from investigation and in effect immunity from prosecution. This decision opens up a calamitous deluge as every person under criminal investigation will be encouraged to take out suits to injunct investigation and prosecution bodies from investigating and prosecuting them," he said.

At a news conference on Wednesday, November 29, the Special Prosecutor found the trend troubling.

Kissi Agyebeng with Godfred Dame-Yeboah Pulse Ghana

“I do not intend to sound as though I'm predicting doom but we are facing it, and this is it. With this development, it will not be long, before a suspected murderer or armed robber will boldly walk to court with the unthinkable prayer that the court should injunct law enforcement agencies from investigating him.”

On Monday, a High Court nullified a report by the OSP that implicated Col Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of the Customs Division at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and Joseph Adu Kyei, a former Deputy Commissioner of the Division, for utilizing their positions to provide favorable tax treatment to Labianca Company, a frozen foods company.

Damoah and Kyei filed a lawsuit against the OSP in November 2022, contending that the report lacked merit and had harmed their reputations.

Subsequently, the court imposed costs of GH₵10,000 against the OSP and issued a restraining order to prevent the OSP from further investigating the two.