Ken Ofori-Atta faces OSP June 2 deadline or risk being declared fugitive again
Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has until June 2, 2025, to report to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), or he risks being reclassified as a fugitive from justice.
The OSP has warned that failure to appear in person will result in his name being reinstated on the list of wanted persons and could trigger an INTERPOL Red Notice request to facilitate his arrest abroad.
Mr. Ofori-Atta is currently under investigation for alleged misconduct related to five major issues during his tenure under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
These include questionable contractual arrangements involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); the controversial termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC); procurement concerns and financial irregularities associated with the construction of the National Cathedral; a procurement contract between the Ministry of Health and Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for 307 ambulances; and the management and disbursement of funds from the GRA’s Tax P-Fund Account.
In January 2025, the OSP formally identified Mr. Ofori-Atta as a suspect and summoned him to appear on February 10, 2025. His legal team responded by claiming he was abroad indefinitely for medical treatment and requested to represent him in his absence. The OSP rejected this explanation, insisting on a definite return date and stating that legal representatives could not answer criminal charges on a client’s behalf.
On February 10, Mr. Ofori-Atta’s lawyers submitted a medical note indicating he was undergoing tests and possibly surgery, with no clear timeline for return. Two days later, the OSP issued an arrest warrant and officially declared him a fugitive from justice. However, on February 18, Mr. Ofori-Atta appealed to have his name removed from the wanted list, assuring the OSP of a return date in May. The office accepted this assurance and took his name off the list.
In March, Mr. Ofori-Atta filed a lawsuit against the OSP and the Special Prosecutor, arguing that the declaration of him as a fugitive was unlawful. He also sought compensation and requested that related posts on the OSP’s social media be taken down. The Human Rights Court in Accra heard an interim application on March 28, in which Mr. Ofori-Atta sought to prevent the OSP from declaring him wanted again.
Following this legal action, the OSP gave Mr. Ofori-Atta until June 2, 2025, to appear in person. With the deadline fast approaching, the Special Prosecutor’s office has reiterated that a failure to comply will result in his name being reinstated on the wanted list and could lead to international consequences, including an INTERPOL Red Notice.