The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued a strongly-worded statement demanding full transparency and parliamentary scrutiny after startling revelations emerged on Joy News’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

The disclosures, which the party describes as “disturbing evidence of institutional collusion,” point to the alleged existence of a government-sponsored covert communications network involving senior officials of key state institutions, journalists, and civil society leaders.

The issue surfaced when the Director of Communications, Strategy and Research at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Sammy Darko confirmed during the live broadcast that members of the OSP belonged to a WhatsApp platform reportedly created and coordinated by the government.

According to his account, the group includes personnel from the OSP, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), representatives from the Supreme Court, and selected media and civil society actors.

The host of the programme, Samson Lardy Ayenini—widely regarded as an independent journalist—affirmed the existence of the group, adding that its formation was sanctioned by the government because “we have been given work to do.”

His confirmation, according to the NPP, exposes the depth of what they describe as a calculated attempt by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to consolidate control over institutions that are supposed to operate independently.

For the NPP, these revelations echo long-standing fears of creeping authoritarianism under the Mahama administration, which critics argue has been tightening its grip on anti-corruption agencies, security services, and even sections of the media.

The party argues that the WhatsApp group represents a coordinated effort to “ensnare the nation’s most critical independent voices” and place them under a centralised, politically driven command structure.

This controversy adds to a series of previous clashes between the OSP and political actors over allegations of selective prosecutions, leaked documents, and concerns about the erosion of procedural independence.

Over the years, the anti-corruption architecture—comprising the OSP, CHRAJ, EOCO, and oversight CSOs—has been celebrated for its role in strengthening accountability.

But the NPP now insists that the latest revelations suggest a “systemic collapse” of that independence.

According to the party’s statement, the arrangement undermines the essence of democratic oversight, where media and civil society actors are expected to serve as checks on state power—not as participants in confidential networks with state institutions they are supposed to critique.

The alleged involvement of Supreme Court judges, in particular, has raised questions about judicial neutrality at a time when the courts continue to adjudicate politically sensitive cases.

The NPP argues that if investigators, prosecutors, security officers, judges, journalists and CSO leaders are sharing information in a secret forum outside approved channels, then Ghana may be facing one of its most significant institutional crises since the inception of the Fourth Republic.

Concerns range from breaches of professional ethics to violations of constitutional principles safeguarding institutional independence.

Among the fears raised are:

1. Compromise of the OSP’s independence if its senior officials participate in coordinated exchanges with political actors and media operatives.

2. Potential ethical and legal breaches by EOCO and police personnel who may be sharing sensitive information outside formal structures.

3. Erosion of judicial impartiality if judges participate in informal networks involving activists, journalists, and officials of investigative bodies.

The party has therefore outlined several demands:

A public explanation from the OSP detailing the purpose, composition, and activities of the WhatsApp platform.

A parliamentary inquiry summoning all institutions and individuals allegedly involved.

A forensic audit to determine whether confidential information has been disseminated improperly.

Legal or administrative sanctions where breaches are confirmed.

Full disclosure from journalists and CSO leaders reportedly participating in the group.

The NPP stresses that these developments reinforce long-standing suspicions that some voices in media and civil society may no longer be operating independently but are instead aligned with partisan interests. This, the party warns, threatens the credibility of institutions that protect the public interest.