This is not OSP we contemplated – Mustapha Abdul-Hamid’s lawyer

Former Deputy Attorney General and legal counsel for Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, has voiced serious concerns about the current direction of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), claiming it has deviated from its original mandate.

In an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Friday, July 18, Mr. Kpemka said the OSP is straying from its core anti-corruption mission, potentially undermining the public trust it was meant to uphold.

“I would say without a shred of doubt that so far, until otherwise, the office hasn’t been up to expectation, especially in line with the expectation that we had when we promulgated the act,” he said.

Mr. Kpemka, who was involved in the passage of the Special Prosecutor Bill during his time as Deputy Attorney General, stressed that the OSP’s current posture does not reflect the intentions of Parliament at the time.

“I can again say that I was the Deputy Attorney General at the time and sat through the first reading all through to the third read and the passage of the bill. But this was not what we contemplated. I must say without the shred of doubt,” he noted.

He warned that continued deviation could erode public confidence in the institution.

“If care is not taken, the purpose of its set up will be defeated. Going forward, we pray and hope that things that will bring a positive image of the office will be started so that in the long run, people will not regret participating in the establishment of that office,” he added.

Mr. Kpemka’s comments follow charges filed by the OSP against his client, Dr. Abdul-Hamid, and others over an alleged GHS280 million extortion and money laundering scheme—charges Dr. Abdul-Hamid has denied.

Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, former CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), and six others are scheduled to appear before Criminal Division 3 of the High Court on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, to respond to the corruption-related charges brought by the OSP.