Manasseh Azure Awuni, an investigative journalist, has said he believes lawyer Martin Kpebu’s account of what transpired at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
According to Manasseh Azure Awuni, the OSP, which is supposed to be a citadel of integrity, has dented its credibility.
The investigative journalist argued that the OSP has been releasing inaccurate figures regarding the amount of money involved in the SML scandal.
Speaking during a panel discussion on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, December 6, 2025, Manasseh explained, “I think I would believe Martin Kpebu over the OSP at this point. In the past, I would not have doubted information coming from the OSP, which is supposed to be a citadel of integrity. In your interview with Martin Kpebu, you mentioned that The Fourth Estate published a report stating that the SML investigation started in 2023 — that was an official report from the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which many media houses published.
“I had no reason to believe or even suspect that such an honourable office might be lying in this report. Then, early this year, officials of that office reached out to me on the 29th of January 2025, and the call was to the effect that, ‘You petitioned our office to begin investigating SML. We are about to start the investigation, and we think it is proper that we understand the petition. There may be background information you have that is not in the petition or even in the documentary.’ So we scheduled a meeting, and that meeting came off on the 31st of January.
“There was a follow-up email from the officer leading the investigation at the time, and this email came on the 5th of February 2025. It said I should provide them with some information for, quote, ‘the preparatory process for the investigation’, and it was in line with the fact that they were about to begin,” he said.
He further reiterated, “It is difficult at this moment to just believe everything that they say”.
Meanwhile, an anonymous officer at the Office of the Special Prosecutor who witnessed the clash at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has given supposed details of the incident.
The female officer indicated that the clash started when the officers, whom Martin Kpebu identified as soldiers, cautioned him against going out to grant interviews after parking.
Speaking during a panel discussion on JoyNews’ NewsFile programme on December 6, 2025, the anonymous OSP officer stated, “When I was walking into the premises of the office, I noticed there was an interview being conducted by some guy from the media with Mr Kpebu. I got into the premises; the officer on duty let him know that it was being conducted quite close to the place, and then they asked him to move away. So I was still on the compound when he then walked in.
“Right at the gate, the men let him know that anytime he comes to the office, once he parks, he’s supposed to go straight to do his business — as in go straight to the reception — and that they don’t do things like this here. Now his (Kpebu’s) response was that he can do what he wants; they can’t tell him what to do. And these men kept insisting that you can’t do that here.”
She added, “Next thing I know, it’s escalating to insults. There was the F word being used. There were the other ones.”
The anonymous OSP officer insisted, “The verbal abuse — I heard it from Mr Kpebu. I heard Mr Kpebu use those words. He used the F word; he used the other insult. Aside from that, there was no physical abuse; it was the verbal abuse, which I heard from him”.
“What I can speak to is the fact that these men kept insisting that they don’t do that here. And his response was, ‘I can do what I want; you can’t tell me what to do.’ They stood their ground, saying the same thing to him. And then there was a flare-up,” she added.
Watch the video below:
'I believe Martin Kpebu over the OSP' – @Manasseh_Azure via #Newsfile
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) December 6, 2025
Watch here: https://t.co/wgXDZ9zg42 pic.twitter.com/Ik6N29wVp5