OSP Probes Alleged Sale of Appointment Letters to Teachers

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has opened investigations into alleged corruption involving the large-scale sale of appointment letters to prospective teachers, alongside money laundering activities linked to the practice.

This was disclosed in the OSP’s 2025 Half-Year Report, released on Tuesday, August 19.

The report further revealed ongoing probes into the operations of the National Commission on Culture between 2020 and 2024, focusing on suspected corruption and extortion related to staff salaries and arrears.

In his preface to the report, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng stressed that Ghana’s fight against corruption cannot be won through punishment alone. He emphasized that the OSP’s legal framework places strong focus on prevention, asset recovery, and the reclaiming of tainted property.

“Accordingly, we are pursuing lasting anti-corruption results by combining enforcement with robust prevention and asset recovery, particularly through Ghana’s unique plea bargaining system,” he explained.

Mr. Agyebeng noted that the OSP has strengthened its preventive mandate by working closely with public institutions, the private sector, and civil society, while also securing convictions and asset recovery through plea deals.

He further called for modernization of Ghana’s anti-corruption legal framework, proposing a dedicated constitutional chapter on anti-corruption. Such provisions, he said, would enshrine measures like lifestyle audits, non-conviction-based asset recovery, stronger asset declaration and verification, and a reverse onus presumption of corruption to guide both criminal trials and civil asset recovery.

Additionally, the OSP is championing the passage of a Comprehensive Corrupt Practices Act and a Conduct of Public Officers Act.

“As one of three key partners in implementing the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Strategy and Implementation Plan, the Office is building long-lasting structures to combat corruption. The challenge is daunting, but our commitment remains resolute,” he affirmed.