The discussions on JoyPrime’s Newsfile on Saturday, November 22, 2025, took a dramatic turn when physician and political activist Dr Arthur Kennedy delivered a critique of Ghana’s governance and justice systems.
The programme, hosted by Lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini on the topic “OSP in the Eye of the Storm, Why EOCO Abusing Human Rights?, Galamsey Tribunals to Deliver Swift Justice,” centred heavily on the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s planned arraignment of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and others over a 78-count corruption charge.
Dr. Kennedy expressed profound frustration at what he described as a longstanding culture of impunity in Ghana, arguing that many of the country’s most troubling incidents have been met with silence rather than accountability. He referenced the battering of women and the six deaths recorded at the El Wak Stadium, noting that law enforcement agencies should have imposed immediate sanctions. According to him, the police station connected to the assault cases should have been punished by now, insisting that the absence of consequences undermines public confidence in justice.
Addressing concerns that the case against Ofori-Atta might already be a lost case due to his absence from the country, Dr. Kennedy stressed that the prosecution should proceed regardless. He maintained that a case does not collapse simply because an accused person is out of jurisdiction. Dr. Kennedy linked the present case to past controversies, including the SML deal and syndicated loan arrangements, arguing that these issues had been growing quietly for years before escalating.
He insisted that Ghana must build a justice system where no individual is insulated from scrutiny, adding that the Attorney-General must demonstrate due diligence in handling matters of public accountability. The physician lamented what he described as a pattern of “serial party dictatorship,” where incumbent governments appear immune to investigations even when allegations of misappropriation emerge. He emphasised that Ofori-Atta reported to the President and that the Former President Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo can therefore answer for how such large-scale financial concerns could occur under his watch.
The conversation later shifted to allegations of human rights abuses by EOCO. Dr. Kennedy argued that the exercise of discretion in granting bail must be systematic and fair, emphasising that poor detainees with no access to lawyers should not be forgotten in the debate. He stressed that reform must extend to the many vulnerable people languishing in jail without proper representation.
On the issue of galamsey tribunals, Dr. Kennedy argued that the country risks misdiagnosing the root of the problem if it focuses solely on prosecution. He described illegal mining as a national security threat that requires decisive state-led action. According to him, the tribunals are “side issues” and cannot solve the crisis on their own. He insisted that the government and the army must first act swiftly to reclaim forests and lands before turning to the prosecution of offenders. Preventive measures, he argued, are essential if Ghana is to halt the ongoing environmental degradation.
