If Ever The OSP Have Free Hand To Operate

That The Anchor deciding to follow the recent controversial exploits of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in the matter of the Labianca Company Limited, not because of the value of the approximately a million Ghana cedis being recouped, but the vexed issue of ‘not the size of the dog in that fight but the size of the fight in the dog’; oh yes!

The owner of the Labianca, the paper can’t pinpoint is a politician and of which stock but by appointment shows.

Madam Eunice Jacqueline BuahAsomah-Hinnehis a member of the Council of State from the Western Region and member of Board of Directors of Ghana Ports and Harbours and KissiAgyebeng, credible replacement of controversy-plagued Martin Amidu, seems to have courted himself in-between the rock and the hard place, in the discharge of his mandated official duties; a controversy people described as ‘biting one of his own; harder than necessary and, in fact, bigger than he could chew.

Agyebeng’s office published a report three weeks ago of ‘enviable’ progress made by it in helping recoup over a million cedis from a Labianca company, unfortunately, belonging to a personality socially and maybe, also politically, stronger than him; that ends up lime-lighting Agyebeng as a ‘small cat that craves bigger mice’.

Lady LabiancaHinneh, as Ports and Harbours-related businesswoman and a member of the Ghanaian Council of State that advises President Nana Akufo-Addo on general issues making and or marring the country including the appointment of Agyebeng; is also by providence, a Board member of the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, a catchment area conducive for her business.

According to the OSP, a painstaking investigation by his office had revealed and retrieved the said amount, short-changed the state of Ghana by Labianca Company in ungodly cahoots with Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) big men spearheaded by a Kyei and his big boss, Kojo.

As expected, however, the issue degenerated into a typical Ghanaian body polity’s controversy instead of pure criminality against the state of Ghana.

The Anchor was part of the school-of-thought that initially vouched Labianca’s innocence until the revelation of the CEO being not only on our Council of State, but also a sitting member on the Ports and Harbours Board. Here the paper had to eat the recoiling pie, sniffing a conflict of interest, big time. The paper also told itself, AgyebengKissi had at hand, a wrestling duel – touching the politically untouchable.

By her position on the almighty Council of State, the woman of power and adviser of the President of the Republic, could talk the talk that manifests both form and matter. And as member of the Board of Directors of Ghana Ports and Harbour authority, she, thus, becomes the proverbial “vulture who eventually assumed the kingship of butchers” and, finds it extremely easy to choose the desired portion of the meats.

But let the Anchor recuse from Hinneh’s prosecution in the court of public opinion, for now, because, we learnt the company has chosen to seek the sanctuary from the law courts, not after paying the debts owed the state under duress, but averring aftermath public outcry over the issue. The Anchor, however, believes and trusts in the courts and to an extent, the country’s judicial system of being of not only being patriotic, but also would act on reason than political emotion. But If ever the Office of the Special Prosecutor have free hand to operate after this controversy, we bet it will remain the same.

Source: Anchorghana