The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in Ghana has become the subject of intense public scrutiny and criticism following the arrest and detention of prominent private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu on December 3, 2025. Mr. Kpebu, a vocal critic of the OSP and its leader, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, was invited to the OSP headquarters to assist with investigations into corruption allegations he had previously leveled against Agyebeng. The OSP, however, stated that his arrest was based on alleged obstruction of duty, claiming he insulted security officers and hindered their duties, and insisted the action was unrelated to the corruption allegations against the Special Prosecutor. Kpebu was subsequently detained, released hours later, under bail conditions requiring him to provide landed property as surety.

This incident has ignited a nationwide debate concerning the OSP’s mandate, the extent of its powers, and its operational integrity. Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie, an Assisting Editor at Joy News, who had previously advocated for strengthening the OSP, observed that while opinions were divided, objective observers would await full evidence. However, he highlighted a critical legal argument from Prof. Kwaku Azar, suggesting that the OSP's power to arrest is strictly confined to corruption and corruption-related offenses. If Kpebu's alleged offense of obstruction falls outside this scope, it would primarily be under the jurisdiction of the Ghana Police Service, implying the OSP might have overstepped its boundaries.

Legal experts have largely condemned the OSP's handling of the situation. Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, a law lecturer at the University of Ghana, criticized the OSP's response as