Private legal practitioner Victoria Bright has said there’s a growing credibility deficit at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), urging urgent steps to restore public confidence in Ghana’s anti-corruption framework.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Bright said the OSP must take immediate action to address widespread doubts about its effectiveness.
“There is now a credibility deficit at the OSP, and they have to work hard. They really have to work hard to repair that deficit, because it’s widening,” she stated.
Bright noted that public sentiment has long pointed to a legitimacy challenge facing the office.
“The public, for a long time, has made it clear that they feel that it has a legitimacy and a credibility issue,” she said, adding that recent developments “have turned into a bit of a credibility deficit.”
She emphasised the seriousness of ongoing corruption cases and the stakes involved for ordinary citizens.
“To normal Ghanaians, their money has allegedly been stolen. They want their money back,” she stressed. “Over 1.4 billion? At stake. It’s a lot of money. People starving.
“People are dying in hospitals… So it’s an anti-corruption fight, and the state of corruption in this country has been shocking, nothing short of shocking.”
Despite her concerns, Bright said she remains hopeful about the possibility of reform.
“I am someone who looks at the glass half full, so I like to think that things will change. Without that, how do you actually present yourself as the czar fighting this thing?… For everyone to be on board, you need to be seen as a credible fighter against this canker that is engulfing and killing Ghana.”
She insisted that urgent credibility repairs are necessary for the OSP to remain relevant.
“And so when you see that credibility is weakening or it’s creating a gap or a deficit, you have to quickly move to repair it. Because if you don’t, then the office becomes toothless,” she warned.
