A major legal setback has been dealt to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) after the Finance and Economic Crime Division 2 of the Accra High Court dismissed its application to freeze the assets of Sledge Duodu (Dr. Sledge), Goldridge Refinery Ltd. and others.
In a ruling delivered on January 29, 2026, Justice Samuel D. Kotey held that the OSP failed to present evidence establishing corruption or misappropriation.
The court determined that there was no demonstrable connection between funds transferred by the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) to Goldridge’s account at Fidelity Bank and the properties the OSP sought to seize.
The judge further observed that all respondents in the matter were private individuals or entities, noting that no public officer had been identified in relation to the alleged wrongdoing — a key element in corruption-related prosecutions.
In its reasoning, the court concluded that the OSP’s move appeared more aligned with enforcing contractual or commercial obligations rather than pursuing a corruption case under its mandate. On that basis, the application to freeze the assets was dismissed.
The decision raises significant questions about the prosecutorial threshold required in asset-freezing applications and marks a notable moment in the ongoing scrutiny of the OSP’s investigative actions.
