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The Supreme Court of Ghana has adjourned indefinitely an application filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor seeking to overturn a High Court ruling that restricted its prosecutorial powers.
The application stems from an April 15 decision by the High Court, presided over by Justice Eugene Nyantei Nyadu, which ordered the OSP to transfer ongoing cases to the Attorney-General and obtain prior authorisation before initiating prosecutions.
The ruling followed a challenge by Peter Archibald Hyde in a case linked to an alleged rice importation scandal involving multiple accused persons, including officials from the National Insurance Commission, the Office of the Vice President, and Customs Service.
The accused individuals are alleged to have conspired to unlawfully seize containers using forged documents and falsified correspondence purportedly from the Vice President’s office.
Justice Nyadu ruled that while the OSP has investigative powers, it cannot initiate prosecutions without approval from the Attorney-General, a decision that has also affected several other ongoing corruption-related cases.
These include cases involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, former National Petroleum Authority boss Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and Charles Bissue.
At Tuesday’s hearing, May 26, 2026, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, chaired by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, noted that the case could not proceed because the application had not been properly served on all parties.
The court therefore adjourned the matter sine die (indefinitely) until service is completed.
Officials from the OSP explained that difficulties in serving the accused persons have delayed proceedings, with claims that some parties have been avoiding service.
The related High Court case remains scheduled for further hearing on June 8, 2026.
Source: 3news
