Former Minister for Finance Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to turn up at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) tomorrow. Â The June 2 deadline for the former Minister to report to the OSP is tomorrow. Mr. Ofori-Atta risks being declared wanted again should he fail to honour the invitation from the Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng.
The OSP had warned if Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to appear, his name will be added back to the list of wanted persons and he will again be declared a fugitive from justice.
In such case, the OSP will also begin the process to request an INTERPOL Red Notice against Mr Ofori-Atta.
Mr. Ofori-Atta according to the OSP is wanted to answer questions on the following transactions:
- Petroleum and Minerals Revenue Assurance: Contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
- Electricity Company Contract Termination: termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC).
- National Cathedral Project: Procurement procedures and financial transactions related to the National Cathedral.
- Ambulance Procurement: A Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for purchasing and maintaining 307 ambulances.
- GRA Tax P-Fund Management: Handling and disbursement of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account of the GRA.
In January 2025, the OSP officially notified Ken Ofori-Atta that he was a suspect in five separate cases and asked him to appear in person on February 10, 2025.
Lawyers of the former finance minister however informed the OSP that he was abroad indefinitely for medical reasons, and offered to represent him in his absence.
The OSP rejected the claim of indefinite absence and demanded a firm return date by February 10, 2025, and warned of legal consequences for failure to comply.
It also reminded that legal representatives cannot respond to criminal charges on behalf of clients.
On February 10, 2025, Ofori-Atta’s lawyers submitted a doctor’s note stating he was undergoing tests and possibly surgery, with no clear return date.
The OSP rejected the excuse and consequently declared Ken Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice, and issued an arrest warrant for him.
The former minister subsequently appealed to the OSP to remove his name from the ‘Wanted List’ and provided a definite return date in May 2025.
The OSP accepted his assurance and subsequently took his name off the list
Ken Ofori-Atta however later filed a lawsuit against the OSP and the Special Prosecutor, seeking compensation for what he called his unlawful wanted declaration, and asked for the removal of related publications from the OSP’s social media handles.
The High Court in Accra (Human Rights Court) heard an interim application from Mr Ofori-Atta, asking that the OSP be barred from declaring him wanted again on March 28, 2025.
Following this the OSP gave a deadline of June 2, 2025 for Mr Ofori-Atta to report in person to the OSP headquarters.
It is however unclear whether lawyers for the former Finance Minister have reached out to the OSP for any variation of the deadline given their client.
