Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu was freed late Wednesday after spending nearly five hours in custody at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), following an arrest on allegations of obstructing an officer during a routine investigative appearance.
The incident unfolded on December 3 when Kpebu, a vocal critic of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, arrived at the OSP headquarters to respond to corruption allegations he had previously leveled against the agency’s leadership. According to OSP officials, Kpebu’s detention stemmed from a heated verbal exchange with security personnel at the entrance, where he allegedly ignored instructions, insulted guards, and threatened to report them to superiors. Kpebu, however, dismissed the charges as baseless, recounting a mutual exchange of insults with a military officer stationed at the premises. “The military officer said I am stupid, and I also said he is stupid. So we exchanged words,” Kpebu told reporters from TV3 shortly after his release.
Initially granted bail with conditions including proof of landed property and one surety, Kpebu’s legal team returned to the OSP to finalize the process only to discover he had already been released without fanfare. Emerging from the ordeal, the lawyer branded the detention “needless” and a “suicide mission” orchestrated by an incompetent OSP under Agyebeng’s watch. “My arrest is a confirmation that Kissi Agyebeng is incompetent,” he declared, vowing to petition President John Mahama for the Special Prosecutor’s removal.
Kpebu’s confrontation with the OSP is the latest chapter in a protracted feud. In recent weeks, he has accused Agyebeng of procedural lapses, including contradictions in the handling of investigations into former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and a lack of independence in internal probes. Kpebu has insisted that any inquiry into his allegations against the OSP must be conducted by an impartial external panel, arguing that Agyebeng’s subordinates cannot objectively investigate their own boss.
The OSP, in a statement issued Thursday by Director of Strategic Response and Communications Sammy Darko, rejected claims of a “trap” or political motivation, emphasizing that the arrest was lawful and in response to Kpebu’s disruptive behavior. The agency confirmed Kpebu is scheduled to return at 11 a.m. today for further questioning on the obstruction charges, with a separate date to be set for the corruption probe. As of press time, the OSP had not addressed Kpebu’s personal attacks on Agyebeng.
The episode has sparked outrage among legal and political circles. Madina MP and human rights lawyer Francis-Xavier Sosu condemned the detention as “legally wrong and unacceptable,” urging Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to summon the OSP for accountability. “Touch one, you touch all,” Sosu declared on TV3, framing the incident as an assault on citizens’ rights to free expression. Sosu questioned the propriety of the OSP investigating allegations against itself, calling it a conflict of interest that undermines public trust.
Kpebu’s release caps a tense day that highlights deepening rifts within Ghana’s anti-corruption framework. As the lawyer prepares his formal petition, observers warn the saga could escalate into a broader challenge to the OSP’s autonomy and effectiveness under the current administration.
The OSP was established in 2018 to combat corruption independently, but critics like Kpebu argue it has devolved into a tool for personal vendettas. No further updates were available from either party as of early Thursday morning.