Ken Ofori-Atta’s Flight Is Not a Human Rights Issue — It Is an Accountability Issue

Ken Ofori-Atta did not escape from Ghana through any unapproved or clandestine route. He was granted unimpeded passage to leave the country by the Government of Ghana, despite the state’s awareness of the numerous alleged infractions committed under his stewardship as Minister for Finance.

The question, therefore, is simple: where exactly was the violation of his rights?

Mr. Ofori-Atta only assumed the status of a fugitive when he refused to return to Ghana to account for his stewardship after being formally invited by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). If he truly has nothing to hide, how does one justify his own written communication to the Special Prosecutor stating that he has no intention of returning to Ghana anytime soon?

Lawyer Enayat Qasimi, one must ask: would the authorities of the United States of America tolerate an evasive character such as Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, even for a moment, under similar circumstances? You are entitled to offer your commentary, but it should be grounded in facts rather than the hollow and choreographed defence that may have been presented to you.

You are urged to investigate further into the conduct of Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta—the only Finance Minister in Ghana’s political history whose own Members of Parliament publicly called on the President to dismiss him. Even the President, who was his uncle, initially resisted these calls but eventually relieved him of his position for multiple reasons.

He is also the only Finance Minister whose policies inflicted severe and lasting hardship on pensioners—citizens whose only “crime” was investing their life savings in government bonds. Through what many perceive as greed and self-interest, he presided over the deterioration of Ghana’s economy, ultimately forcing the country into an IMF programme, culminating in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), which plunged nearly one million Ghanaians into poverty and allegedly contributed to several premature deaths.

A thorough and objective inquiry may reveal why Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta deliberately absented himself from Ghanaian jurisdiction—to evade accountability and possible prosecution. The SML matter is only one among numerous allegations linked to his tenure.

Lawyer Enayat Qasimi, the most responsible course of action—for both your client and the people of Ghana—is to advise Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta to voluntarily return home, submit himself to due process, and defend himself with the facts he claims to possess.

Mr. Ofori-Atta has repeatedly praised Ghana’s democracy as one of the strongest in the sub-region. The judiciary remains as independent and vibrant today as it was during his tenure as Minister for Finance. If he genuinely believes in the institutions he once commended, then he has nothing to fear.

Mike kalley
Sociopolitical Analyst.