The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has declared that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is unwilling to voluntarily return to Ghana for investigations into allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences during his tenure in office.
In a statement released in Accra, the OSP said intelligence gathered shows that Mr Ofori-Atta has been outside the country since January 2025, despite several official summonses to appear for questioning. “By his actions, Mr Ofori-Atta has shown clearly that he is unwilling to voluntarily return to the jurisdiction for investigations,” the statement read.
The declaration follows months of tension between the OSP and the Attorney-General’s Department over the handling of Mr Ofori-Atta’s case. The former minister, who served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 until 2024, is being investigated over a series of alleged financial irregularities, including the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML) contract, the National Cathedral project, and issues relating to tax refunds.
Mr Ofori-Atta was first invited by the OSP in January 2025 after being named as a suspect in several ongoing corruption investigations. His lawyers, however, informed the OSP that he was abroad on medical grounds and would not be able to attend in person. The OSP rejected the explanation, insisting that the indefinite absence was unacceptable and demanded a clear date for his return. When that failed to happen, the office obtained a judicial warrant for his arrest and declared him a fugitive from justice.
Following his continued absence, the OSP has since taken steps toward international enforcement, including initiating an INTERPOL Red Notice to assist in securing his return to Ghana. The office emphasised that all procedures were being followed in accordance with the law and dismissed claims that it was refusing to hand over case files to the Attorney-General’s Department for extradition proceedings, describing such reports as “misleading and factually inaccurate.”
Meanwhile, Ghanaians are mounting pressure on the OSP to expedite the extradition process to ensure that Mr Ofori-Atta returns to face the law. Many believe his continued stay abroad undermines public confidence in the justice system and the fight against corruption.
Mr. Ofori-Atta’s refusal to return home and account for his time in office has left many Ghanaians disappointed.
By Julius JABS
