President Akufo Addo has today January 2, 2018, assented to 5 bills passed by Parliament including the Special Prosecutor Bill.
According to the President, the new law forms part of the most important elements of the NPP's 2016 Manifesto, on which they were elected into office, and they have now found legislative expression.
In an effort to end the corruption menace in the country, Akufo- Addo made a campaign promise in 2016, to create the office of the Special Prosecutor to bring corrupt officials to book.
The bill was then passed by parliament in November 2017 after its third reading.
The other bills he has assented to are; Zongo Development Fund Bill; Coastal Development Authority Bill; Middle Belt Development Authority Bill; and the Northern Development Authority Bill.
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What is the Special Prosecutor bill?
The purpose of the bill is to establish the office of the Special Prosecutor as a specialized agency to investigate specific cases of corruption involving public officers, and politically exposed persons in the performance of their functions as well as individuals in the private sector implicated in the commission of corruption and prosecute these offences on the authority of the Attorney-General.
When operational, the Special Prosecutor’s office will be independent of the Executive, which observers believe will allow it to adequately deal with corruption-related issues which have plagued past governments.
This Bill is expected to, among other things, define the modalities for the appointment and operations of the Special Prosecutor.
The office of the Special Prosecutor will have the mandate to investigate and prosecute cases of alleged corruption under the Public Procurement Act 203 Act 63 and other corruption-related offenses implicating public officers, political office holders and their accomplices in the public sector.
The Prosecutor will also be mandated to trace and recover the proceeds of corruption.
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In July 2017, there were heated exchanges on the floor of Parliament at the laying of the Office of the Prosecutor Bill.
At a point, government withdrew the Special Prosecutor Bill from Parliament after the Minority challenged the procedure in which the Bill was laid, claiming it was unconstitutional.
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu argued that the Bill did not fulfil the mandatory 14-day constitutional process for its introduction in Parliament.
Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, cited some possible lapses in the Special Prosecutor Bill in a 25-page paper, critiquing aspects of the Bill.
He questioned why there was a clause that sought to limit the Special Prosecutor to specific crimes.
However, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, NDC General Secretary over the weekend dared President Akufo-Addo to immediately sign the bill.
“As long as we can be sure that the justice-seeking means are blind to party affiliations, we in the NDC are ready to stand by the NPP to prosecute corrupt public officials.
"We thought by now the president would have signed the act; we thought by now the Special Prosecutor would have been appointed considering the way the NPP jubilated when the bill was passed by parliament.
"Parliament has done its bid by passing the law, all we are asking from our colleagues is to tell the president to sign it into lawâ€, he said.
Read also: Asiedu Nketia dares Nana Addo to sign Special Prosecutor Bill into Law
 Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill finally passed
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