Kenneth Kwabena Agyei Kuranchie, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, has formally asked Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo to remove Kissi Agyebeng as Special Prosecutor, citing allegations of misconduct.

In a letter dated 18 October 2024, Mr. Kuranchie claimed Mr. Agyebeng violated his official oath and the oath of secrecy, actions he argues are harmful to Ghana’s economy and security. He filed the petition under Section 15 (1) of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, which outlines circumstances under which a Special Prosecutor can be dismissed, including “stated misbehaviour or incompetence,” as well as conduct that may bring the office “into disrepute.”

Among his allegations, Mr. Kuranchie says Mr. Agyebeng authorised security checks, including polygraph testing, on roughly 80% of the Special Prosecutor’s Office staff without the involvement of the National Intelligence Bureau. He claims these checks were instead conducted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a move he argues breaches Ghanaian law and violates the Data Protection Act.

Kuranchie believes these actions amount to “stated misbehaviour” and called them a “willful violation of the Official Oath and Oath of Secrecy,” insisting they warrant Mr. Agyebeng’s removal from office.

Following the petition, President Akufo-Addo has referred the matter to the Chief Justice to assess if a prima facie case exists.

The petition comes after the Supreme Court in July dismissed a case Mr. Kuranchie filed challenging the constitutionality of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. He had sought a ruling to declare the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017, as unconstitutional, arguing it conflicted with several articles of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. Mr. Kuranchie had filed a similar case last year but discontinued it before submitting a new one recently.

Source:TheDotNews