Legal practitioner Mr Kissi Agyebeng has been sworn in as the new Special Prosecutor of Ghana.

Mr Agyebeng was administered the Oath of Office and the Oath of Secrecy by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo today, August 5, 2021, at the Jubilee House in Accra.

He was approved unanimously by Parliament for the role last week after vetting by the Appointments Committee.

Mr Agyebeng becomes the second person to occupy the office of Special Prosecutor after Mr Martin Amidu who resigned in November 2020 amidst controversy.

'Agyebeng eminently qualified'

In an address after the swearing-in ceremony, President Akufo-Addo said Mr Agyebeng's professional and academic background is proof that he is "eminently qualified to occupy the office of Special Prosecutor".

President Akufo-Addo said: "He has the capacity, the experience, the requisite values and intellectual strength to succeed in this vital position.

"I urge the new Special Prosecutor to bear in mind at all times that the office carries an extraordinary responsibility to fight corruption independently and impartially".

President Akufo-Addo also assured that like his predecessor as SP, the Executive will respect the independence of his office and provide him with the assistance to discharge his duties effectively.

No regrets over Amidu appointment

The President said he had no regrets in spite of the unfortunate events that led to the resignation of Mr Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor.

He said as President, he always ensured that Mr Amidu's office was resourced.

Corruption pandemic

On his part, Mr Agyebeng pledged that as SP he would work assiduously to suppress and repress corruption in Ghana to its barest minimum.

According to him, the country was currently dealing with two pandemics in health and corruption.

"The zeal with which your administration has approached the fight in respect of the health crisis, you shall also see in respect of the other pandemic which is corruption," Mr Agyebeng said.

Profile of Kissi Agyebeng

According to his profile, on the University of Ghana School of Law website, Mr Agyebeng has been a lecturer since October 2006, teaching and researching into Criminal Law, International Humanitarian Law, International Law, Corporate Law and Legal Research and Writing.

He was awarded the Bentsi-Enchill Prize for Best Graduating Student of the University of Ghana School of Law in 2001.

He proceeded to the Ghana School of Law and was called to the Ghana Bar in October 2003, earning the E.N. Sowah Memorial Prize for Best Student in Family Law.

Since then, he has successfully argued numerous cases before the superior courts of Ghana and participated in several international arbitration hearings.

Mr Agyebeng has a wide range of expertise in consulting for public sector institutions, including the A-G's Department, EXIM Bank Ghana Ltd, the Youth Employment Authority, the National Lottery Authority, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited and the Ghana Olympic Committee.

He is also an associate at the African Centre for Cyber Law and Cyber Crime Prevention and the National Moot Court Coordinator for the Commonwealth Moot Court Competition on International Criminal Justice.

He has also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association.