10 Petitions Filed Seeking Removal of Special Prosecutor and EC Chairperson

The Office of the President has received 10 separate petitions demanding the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa, and her two deputies, Eric Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey.

Sources within the Presidency told Citi News that the petitions were filed by private citizens who cited various allegations of misconduct. In the case of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, petitioners accuse him of incompetence and abuse of office.

All petitions have been forwarded to the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who is mandated to assess whether they meet the constitutional requirements for further action.

Under Section 16 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959):

1. Petitions for the removal of the Special Prosecutor must first be submitted to the President.
2. The President must refer the petition to the Chief Justice within seven days.
3. The Chief Justice then has 30 days to determine if a prima facie case has been established.
4. If a case is established, a three-member committee must be formed within 14 days. The committee must include:
   • A Supreme Court Justice as chairperson,
   • A lawyer with at least 15 years’ experience,
   • A professional with investigative expertise.
5. The committee is required to investigate the matter within 90 days and submit its report to the President through the Chief Justice.
6. The President must act in accordance with the committee’s recommendations.

Kissi Agyebeng, appointed in 2021 to succeed Ghana’s first Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has faced intense public scrutiny in recent years. Critics, including legal practitioners Martin Kpebu and Kweku Paintsil, have accused him of incompetence, unprofessional public commentary, and mishandling of key investigations. A 2023 High Court ruling also chastised the OSP for overstepping its authority in court filings.
Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has additionally labelled Agyebeng “pathologically dishonest” over comments related to the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) case.

Meanwhile, petitions against Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies reportedly focus on the management of the Commission and calls for stronger accountability mechanisms.

The petitions are now awaiting the Chief Justice’s determination on whether formal investigations should proceed.