A statement by Sammy Darko, Director of Research, Communications, and Strategy at the OSP, on Joy FM’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, has opened the lid on the existence of a government WhatsApp group, membership of which includes representatives of state institutions who are supposed to be independent.

Also included in the WhatsApp group, according to the revelation, are representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and some influential journalists, whose views shape public opinion.

Eventhough the main reasons why a government would influence the creation of a WhatsApp group involving independent state institutions, CSOs and influential public speakers as members, Sammy Darko's revelation, gave a hint that the "government creates it" because of "we are charting a new path on our corruption policy and ethics."

The revelation, and how it potentially questions the credibility of the independent bodies, CSOs and journalists on the platform, has already sparked a storm on social media.

But how did it all start?

It all began during a discussion on the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which has been under fire this week, following the detention of private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu.

Following Martin Kpebu's questioning of the independence of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), that the office was susceptible to external interpretations of its actions, host of the programme, Samson Lardy Anyenini, also raised issues on what he called selective trust in information about the OSP.

“And I had asked Martin Kpebu the same question: why does he seem to believe anything anybody tells him about the office, but he’s unwilling to take what the office tells him? He’s giving you the reason," Samson Lardy, seems to have asked Sammy Darko of the OSP.

It was during the response of Sammy Darko, that the existence of the government WhatsApp group was revealed, following revelation that journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, had raised similar issues Samson raised, on the WhatsApp group.

“The first time I had an encounter with Manasseh Azure over this… there is a government WhatsApp group that we are on, and he brought this issue up. He was answered. In fact, as he said, he’s had the opportunity to see first hand, some of the work that we have done. But I’ll take it one by one,” Sammy Darko said.

Following revelation of the government WhatsApp group, the host of the programe, Samson Lardy, who is also on the WhatsApp platform, rejected the description of the group as a government WhatsApp group because it will send wrong "impression."

“Let’s clarify first. It’s not a government WhatsApp group,” he insisted. “People may get the wrong impression. It is a WhatsApp group of independent minds: CSO leaders and people like you, because of your offices, the key accountability institutions who are also there. OSP, CHRAJ, Auditor-General. Even the Supreme Court has a representation because we have been given a job to do, which is not influenced by the state.”

From Samson Lardy's comment, it was however, not clear who had assigned or given them a job to do on the WhatsApp group.

Despite Samson Lardy's intervention, Sammy Darko insisted that the group was set up by government.

“The point I’m making is that the government creates it because we are charting a new path on our corruption policy and ethics,” Sammy Darko said.