Office of Special Prosecutor

What Office of Special Prosecutor does

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is Ghana's statutory, independent anti-corruption agency, established in 2018 under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959). Its mandate is to investigate and prosecute corruption and corruption-related offences in the public and private sectors, recover the proceeds of such acts, and prevent corruption through risk assessments, public education, and systemic reforms. Unlike peer institutions such as CHRAJ and EOCO, the OSP is uniquely empowered with combined investigative, prosecutorial, intelligence-gathering, surveillance, counter-surveillance, police, national-security, and revenue-generating powers under a single mandate, and operates independently of executive control and the traditional prosecutorial chain of command.

The OSP delivers its mandate through a portfolio of public-facing platforms and core statutory services. Core services comprise Investigation and Prosecution, Asset Recovery and Management, and Prevention of Corruption. Digital product surfaces include a Case Files Portal (public access to investigation, prosecution, referred, closed, and wanted-persons catalogues), an Online Complaint Submission system (named, anonymous, and whistleblower-protected), an Extradition Tracker, an Independence Tracker, and the Youth Against Corruption (YAC) Learning Centre online education platform launched in June 2026. The agency also publishes statutory half-yearly and special reports. Its underlying investigative architecture is human-led, drawing on statutory intelligence and surveillance powers rather than disclosed AI or algorithmic systems.

The OSP is a government state entity — not a commercial company — and does not generate revenue. It is funded exclusively through annual parliamentary budgetary allocations and international cooperation support, and provides services to the Ghanaian public and Government of Ghana at no cost. Outcomes reported across its operating period include GHS 35.14 million in assets recovered, GHS 7.18 billion in losses averted through preventive interventions, 31 persons standing trial, 7 convictions via plea agreements, 11 prosecutions initiated, and 18,403 persons reached through in-person anti-corruption education. The agency employs 101-250 staff and is headquartered at 6 Haile Selassie Avenue, South Ridge, Accra.

Name

Office of Special Prosecutor

Legal name

Office of the Special Prosecutor

Website

https://osp.gov.gh

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Office of the Special Prosecutor is Ghana's statutory independent anti-corruption agency, established in 2018 under Act 959 to investigate, prosecute, and recover assets from corruption cases in the public and private sectors, funded by national budget allocations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Anti-Corruption Enforcement

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Public Finance Activities (921130)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Risk, Controls & Audit (Public Sector) (BPAIAEAH)

Keywords

• Anti-corruption enforcement
• Corruption investigation
• Asset recovery
• Public prosecution
• Governance and integrity

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is Ghana's statutory independent anti-corruption institution that investigates and prosecutes corruption and corruption-related offences in the public and private sectors, recovers the proceeds of corruption through asset recovery and management, and carries out corruption prevention through risk assessments and public education. It is funded through government budget allocations and provides services to the public at no cost.

Product overview

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is Ghana's specialized independent anti-corruption institution established in 2018 under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959). Rather than a commercial product company, the OSP provides government anti-corruption services comprising investigation and prosecution of corruption cases, asset recovery and management, and corruption prevention. The OSP operates several public-facing tools including a Case Files Portal for accessing case information, an Online Complaint Submission system for reporting corruption, an Extradition Tracker, an Independence Tracker, and the Youth Against Corruption (YAC) Learning Centre online education platform. The portfolio also includes statutory publications such as half-yearly reports and special reports, all aimed at investigating and prosecuting corruption, recovering illicit assets, and preventing corruption in Ghana's public and private sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youth Against Corruption (YAC): An initiative of the OSP aimed at improving public understanding of ethics, governance and anti-corruption practices through online learning platforms and outreach programs

Products and services

• Investigation and Prosecution Services The OSP's primary mandate to investigate and prosecute specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in the public and private sectors, including asset recovery and management.
• Asset Recovery and Management Powers to confiscate, recover, and manage tainted property under Section 65 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), enabling restitution of public assets lost through corruption.
• Prevention of Corruption Preventive measures and corruption risk assessments to mitigate instances of grand corruption, advocating for additional policies and streamlining administrative procedures in the public sector.
• Online Complaint Submission A system enabling individuals and organisations to report cases of corruption and corruption-related offences to the OSP, with provisions for named, anonymous, and whistleblower complaints with protection assurances.
• Case Files Portal Public portal providing access to information about cases the Special Prosecutor has determined to investigate and/or prosecute, including ongoing investigations, prosecutions, referred cases, closed cases, and wanted persons.
• Extradition Tracker An online tracker providing public updates on the extradition proceedings involving former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta.
• Independence Tracker A tool tracking the OSP's case independence status in relation to legal challenges against its prosecutorial authority.
• Youth Against Corruption (YAC) Learning Centre An online learning platform developed by the OSP's Youth Against Corruption initiative, providing free courses to help users identify corruption risks, understand ethical decision-making, and develop integrity-based leadership skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• GHS 35.14 million in assets recovered; GHS 7.18 billion in loss averted through preventive interventions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Basel Institute on Governance (International Centre for Asset Recovery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for specialised Senior Investigating Officer training programme to strengthen leadership and management of complex corruption investigations and asset recovery. The ten-day course covers investigation planning, evidence gathering, financial investigations, and asset recovery with practical exercises based on simulated investigations.
• Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner institution in Ghana's anti-corruption ecosystem shown in OSP's partner logos section
• Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner institution in Ghana's anti-corruption ecosystem shown in OSP's partner logos section
• Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner institution in Ghana's anti-corruption ecosystem shown in OSP's partner logos section
• United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint investigations and knowledge exchange conducted with FBI as part of international anti-corruption cooperation framework. OSP officials conducted study visit to FBI Headquarters and Department of Justice in October 2023.
• United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cooperation partner in joint investigations involving corruption cases with cross-border elements
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSP participated as panellist at 5th UNODC Anti-Corruption Academic Symposium in Doha, Qatar December 2025, discussing AI applications in anti-corruption enforcement
• Zambia Anti-Corruption CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-day study visit to OSP for knowledge exchange and institutional collaboration on best practices in combating corruption
• Eswatini Anti-Corruption CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegation from Eswatini Anti-Corruption Commission and Ministry of Justice conducted study visit to OSP in March 2026
• Transparency International GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society partner in anti-corruption advocacy; jointly organised forums on political party financing reforms and OSP stakeholder engagement; intervenor in Supreme Court OSP Act constitutional challenge
• Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey civil society partner conducting 8-year assessment of Ghana's anti-corruption architecture; jointly organised national dialogue on OSP funded by EU through GIZ; awarded permission to intervene in Supreme Court OSP Act challenge
• IMANI AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society organisation granted permission to intervene in Supreme Court constitutional challenge to OSP Act 2017
• Ghana Anti-Corruption CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivil society organisation granted permission to intervene in Supreme Court constitutional challenge to OSP Act 2017
• IMF AFRITAC West 2minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical assistance partner delivering regional high-level seminars on macro-critical corruption including publishing asset declarations and managing conflicts of interest

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO): Ghana's domestic anti-organized crime agency that investigates financial crimes, corruption, and fraud. Overlaps directly with the OSP on economic crime investigations, creating direct mandate competition and inter-agency case coordination dynamics.
• Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC): Ghana's financial intelligence unit that receives and analyzes suspicious transaction reports. Listed as a core OSP partner, FIC provides the financial data backbone supporting OSP corruption investigations and asset recovery.
• Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ): Ghana's constitutional anti-corruption body that investigates complaints of corruption by public officials and is explicitly named as a partner institution in the OSP's anti-corruption ecosystem. Both agencies share jurisdiction over public-sector corruption.

Regional players

• Zambia Anti-Corruption Commission: Zambia's statutory anti-corruption agency, which conducted a three-day study visit to the OSP. Operates in a comparable anglophone African legal and political environment with similar mandate scope.
• Eswatini Anti-Corruption Commission: Eswatini's anti-corruption body whose delegation visited the OSP in March 2026 for knowledge exchange. Operates in a similar African Commonwealth institutional context with a comparable mandate structure.

Others

• Transparency International Ghana: Ghanaian civil society organization that conducts advocacy, civic education, and monitoring of anti-corruption institutions including the OSP. Functions as an ecosystem partner and external accountability layer rather than a direct enforcement competitor.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): UN agency whose Anti-Corruption Academic Symposium featured the OSP as a panellist discussing AI applications in anti-corruption enforcement. Functions as a global convener, technical-assistance provider, and standard-setter that the OSP engages with on international cooperation.

Broad incumbents

• UK National Crime Agency (NCA): The UK's lead agency against serious and organized crime, with whom the OSP conducts joint cross-border investigations. Comparable in its intelligence-led approach to tackling complex corruption networks with international reach.
• Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Hong Kong: Hong Kong's premier anti-corruption agency that combines investigation, prosecution, and prevention mandates under a single independent body—closely mirroring the OSP's integrated mandate and serving as a global benchmark.
• Serious Fraud Office (UK): The UK agency that investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption. Comparable to the OSP in its integrated investigation-prosecution mandate for high-level financial crime, serving as a model for the OSP's design.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ospghana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-of-the-special-prosecutor-osp-ghana
• Facebookfacebook.com/ospghana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office of Special Prosecutor