AG moves to take over OSP cases following High Court order

The Office of the Attorney-General is set to begin taking over all criminal cases currently being prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), following a High Court directive.

The move comes after the court ordered that the Attorney-General assume control of all such cases until the OSP secures the constitutionally required authorisation to prosecute.

Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem -Sai, disclosed that the Attorney-General will, in the coming days, begin taking the necessary steps to give effect to the court’s ruling. He emphasised that the Office has no intention of disobeying or ignoring the directive.

The ruling stems from a case involving an accused, Peter Archibold Hyde, who challenged the OSP’s prosecutorial authority. His legal team argued that under the Constitution and the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, the OSP can only prosecute with the authorisation of the Attorney-General.

Court records indicated that the OSP was unable to demonstrate that it had obtained such authorisation, leading to the High Court’s decision.

The development is expected to significantly impact ongoing prosecutions handled by the OSP, as the Attorney-General moves to assume full control in compliance with the court’s order.