The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has disclosed that between January and June 2025, the criminal courts delivered seven convictions and one acquittal in cases prosecuted by the office.
This was contained in its half-year report prepared in July 2025.
The OSP noted that it has filed an appeal against the acquittal, signalling its resolve to pursue accountability in all matters under its mandate.
The specific cases are outlined as follows:
1. The republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & nine others
On 23 July 2023, the Office initiated criminal proceedings in the High Court, Accra against Mustapha Abdul-Hamid (a former Chief executive of National Petroleum authority) and nine (9) others including three(3) corporate entities.
The accused persons are charged with twenty-five counts of conspiracy to commit extortion by a public officer; extortion by a public officer; using public office for profit; conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. the case is adjourned till 26 august 2025.
2. The republic v. Issah Seidu & 3 others
On 27 June 2025, the Office arraigned three(3) public officials and one(1) retired public official – Issah Seidu, James Keck Osei, John Abban, and Peter Archibold Hyde – before the High Court, Accra on charges for corruption by and of a public officer and using public office for profit concerning an attempt to unlawfully appropriate ten containers of imported rice at the tema Port. the case is adjourned to 21 October 2025.
3. The republic v. Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue & Another (substituted with Cr/0559/2025 The republic v. Charles Cromwell Nanabanyin Onuawonto Bissue & two others)
On 28 April 2025, the Office charged Charles Bissue (the Secretary to the disbanded Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining) with six(6) counts of using public office for profit and three(3) counts of
corruption by a public officer in respect of suspected bribes and illicit gifts to unlawfully secure a fast-tracked issuance of a concession sticker to enable a business entity to commence mining without a licence. the case has been adjourned to 28 august 2025.
Mr. Bissue was initially charged together with businessman Andy Thomas Owusu, who has since been convicted following a plea the conclusion and execution of a plea bargain.
The Special Prosecutor accepted Mr. Owusu’s offer of restitution and reparation to the republic on the following considerations in accordance with section 71(4) of act 959;
i. The history of Mr. Owusu with respect to criminal activity.
ii. The level of cooperation Mr. Owusu exhibited during the investigation.
iii. The likelihood of obtaining a conviction if the case proceeds to trial.
iv. The probable effect on witnesses of a trial.
v. The need to avoid delay in the disposition of other pending cases.
4. The Republic v. Ibrahim Kofi Sessah (substituted with Ft/0075/2025 the republic v. Ibrahim Kofi Sessah & Another)
On 11 March 2025, the Office initiated criminal proceedings against
Mr. Ibrahim Kofi Sessah, a technician with the local Government Service at Adeiso District, for his alleged involvement in a large-scale bribery and money laundering scheme relating to the unlawful sale of Ghana education Service (GES) appointment letters.
Acting in concert with others at large, including Anthony Gyasi (an It Officer at GES Head Office), Sadia Alhassan (a teacher at Philip Quaque Boys Basic School), and Francis Asare (a private
businessman), Mr. Sessah is alleged to have solicited payments from prospective teacher applicants in exchange for GES appointment letters.
Between January 2022 and December 2023, Mr. Sessah is suspected of receiving GH¢604,260.00 through his Zenith Bank account, of which GH¢ 580,000.00 was collected directly from over 100 applicants.
A substantial portion of these funds was allegedly transferred to Anthony Gyasi.
Following investigations, Mr. Sessah was arrested and charged with using public office for profit, giving bribe to influence a public officer, and money laundering. He was arraigned before the High Court, Accra on 6 May 2025, where he pleaded not guilty.
On 24 July 2024, the charge sheet was substituted with an additional accused person, Gloria Acquah, as the second accused. The case stands adjourned till 16 October 2025.
5. The Republic v. Tahidu Yakubu & Five others
In November 2023, the OSP and the Controller and accountant General’s Department jointly commenced corruption risk assessment and investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of Government Payroll administration.
The assessment and investigation are especially aimed at isolating and removing the names of non-existent, ineligible, and undeserving persons from government payroll, recovering wrongful payments and unearned salaries, prosecuting persons suspected to be culpable for any offences, and the institution and implementation of internal controls in respect of payroll processing and payment of salaries.
The investigation and assessment cover all employees on government payroll and their respective banks and other deposit taking financial institutions. After enhanced investigations, the OSP charged and arraigned six(6) persons before the High Court, tamale on 13 March 2025 for several corruption and corruption-related offences.
The first accused, Tahidu Yakubu, is a former teacher at Balogu M/a Junior High School (Balogu JHS) in Yendi. The second accused, Abdulai Abubakar Sadic, is the Integrated Municipal Personnel Payroll Database (IPPD) Coordinator at Yendi, responsible for, inter alia, payroll and reactivation of salaries.
Sammy Suuk, the third accused, is the Schools Improvement Support Officer (SISO) for the Yendi North Circuit and his responsibilities include monitoring and supervision of schools and verification of monthly salaries of teachers in his area of supervision.
Mohammed yusif Jay, the fourth accused, is the former Headmaster of Balogu JHS, in charge of the validation of salaries of teachers in the school. the fifth accused, Stafford Korletey azudey-Barres is an assistant Chief account technician at the Controller and accountant-General’s Department in Accra.
The sixth accused, Osman Issahaku, is the current Headmaster of Balogu JHS, in charge of the validation of salaries of teachers in the school.
The accused persons faced twenty-two(22) counts of corruption by and of a public officer officer; false certificate by a public officer; and causing financial loss to the republic.
Upon the commencement of the proceedings, the accused persons triggered the OSP’s plea bargaining regime under section 71(1) of act 959 and voluntarily offered to admit the offences and make restitution and the provision of information that will aid in the arrest and prosecution of other persons known to them as having committed or are about to commit corruption and corruption- related offences.
The Special Prosecutor, in accordance with section 71(3), (4), and (6) of act 959, considered that the offer was acceptable to the prosecution on the basis of the history of the accused with respect to criminal activity; the level of cooperation the accused exhibited during the investigation; and the willingness of the accused to cooperate in the investigation and the prosecution of other persons.
On 30 april 2025, the Court considered the plea bargain agreement between the republic and the accused persons to be satisfactory, and the Judge accepted the plea of guilty from all the accused persons and convicted all the accused persons on their own plea. The accused persons have discharged the financial obligation under the plea bargain.
6. The Republic v Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka
On 24 May 2022, the Office initiated criminal proceedings at the High Court, Kumasi, against the President’s nominee for the position of Chief executive of Juaben Municipal assembly in the
Ashanti region, Alexander Kwabena Sarfo Kantanka for corruption in respect of a public election.
On 9 april 2024, the Court partially dismissed an application by Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka on a submission of no-case-to-answer. the Court held that the republic had established a prima facie case against Mr. Sarfo Kantanka in respect of three(3) of the charges.
The Court ordered Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka to open his defence in respect of the three(3) charges. Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka subsequently filed an appeal in the Court of appeal against the decision of the High Court.
He also filed an application for stay of proceedings to suspend the trial indefinitely pending the outcome of the appeal. the High Court dismissed the application for stay of proceedings and ordered that the trial should proceed on its normal course. the accused subsequently delivered his testimony, and he was cross-examined. The court fixed 28 November 2024 for judgment.
When the case was called on the date for judgment, a new judge, Justice abdul razak Musah, sat on the matter. He informed the court that the trial judge, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori, had been transferred. Justice abdul razak Musah further noted that a notice of change of solicitors had been filed for the accused, and he granted the new legal team additional time to review the case.
Additionally, Justice abdul razak Musah observed that the accused had not yet filed his address, whereupon he granted him further time to do so. And he adjourned the case to 20 January 2025.
On 3 December 2024, the Communications Department of the Judicial Service caused a publication to the effect that Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori had indeed been transferred from Kumasi to Accra as part of the 2024 beginning of legal year transfers of more than twenty(20) judges at all levels of court.
The publication also noted that Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori had presented the list of all outstanding judgments and rulings, and that she had been authorised to deliver all outstanding judgments and rulings.
The publication further indicated that on 29 November 2024, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori presented the required Case Completion Plan for a warrant to complete cases that are close to completion. Consequently, the Office expected that Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori would deliver the judgment on 20 January 2025.
Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori eventually delivered the judgment on 26 May 2015. The court acquitted and discharged Mr. Sarfo- Kantanka on the reasoning that the evidence did not establish that the various sums of money Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka gave to some of the delegates designated to vote on his nomination were intended to influence them to vote for him, although the evidence included an unchallenged audio-visual recording which showed Mr. Sarfo- Kantanka demanding for a refund from some of the delegates after he lost the election and admission in testimony that money changed hands between the nominee and some of the delegates.
The Office has appealed the judgment at the Court of appeal on the grounds that the judgment cannot be supported having regard to the evidence and that the judge erred in both law and fact.
7. The Republic v Sumaila Abdul Rahman, Stephen Yir-Eru Engmen, Patrick Seidu & Andrew Kuundaari
The trial of the former Chief executive, former Deputy Chief executive in charge of Operations, former Deputy Chief executive in charge of finance and administration of Northern Development authority and the Chief executive of a&QS Consortium limited is pending before the Criminal Division of the High Court, tamale.
The four(4) are facing a total of eleven(11) counts of corruption and corruption-related offences comprising conspiracy to directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair
advantage in the award of a procurement contract, directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract, corruption by a
public officer, and corruption of a public officer.
On 26 April 2024, the Court dismissed an application by the accused persons on a submission of no-case-to-answer. The Court held that the republic had established a prima facie case against the accused persons in respect of all the charges. the accused persons appealed the ruling at the Court of appeal. the appeal is pending.
The accused persons opened their defence in October 2024. the fourth accused will present his defence commencing on 21 October 2025.
8. The Republic v. Adjenim Boateng Adjei
The trial of the former Chief executive of Public Procurement authority is ongoing before the Criminal Division of the High Court, Accra.
Mr. adjei has been charged with eight(8) counts of using public office for profit and directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of public contracts. The case stands adjourned till 20 October 2025.
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