OSP directs former Minister of Finance to present himself

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has directed former Minister of Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, to present himself in person at its headquarters today.

The OSP stated that if the former Finance Minister failed to present himself in person, he would be reinstated on the list of wanted persons and declared a fugitive from justice.

In a statement issued yesterday, the OSP added that it would begin processes to issue an INTERPOL Red Notice, potentially subjecting the former minister to international arrest and extradition if he does not comply with the directive.

Mr Ofori-Atta is a subject of investigation into five major issues during his tenure in office under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

They are the contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); the termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC) and the procurement procedures and financial transactions related to the National Cathedral.

The rest are a Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for purchasing and maintaining 307 ambulances and the handling and disbursement of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account of the GRA.

Investigation

On February 12, this year, the Special Prosecutor declared the former Finance Minister wanted after describing him as a “fugitive from justice” who had “no intention of willingly returning to the jurisdiction”.

That was after the OSP had mentioned him as a suspect in some corruption and corruption-related cases, including the National Cathedral being investigated by the OSP.

The Special Prosecutor accused Mr Ofori-Atta of allegedly employing tactics in order not to avail himself of an invitation dated January 24, 2025.

On February 18, 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta appealed to the OSP to remove his name from the ‘Wanted List’ and provided a definite return date in May 2025.

The Special Prosecutor explained that the former Finance Minister had, through his lawyers, stated a definite date of his voluntary return to the jurisdiction.

As a result, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) acceded to Mr Ofori-Atta’s request, a statement signed by the Special Prosecutor revealed.

The OSP said it deemed as reasonable in the circumstance Mr Ofori-Atta’s stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction.

Subsequently, the OSP accepted his assurance and subsequently took his name off the list.

“If Ofori-Atta fails to voluntarily return to the jurisdiction circa his stated date, and if Mr Ofori-Atta fails to attend the OSP on the rescheduled date, he shall be re-entered on the OSP’s list of wanted persons and the OSP shall then consider him a fugitive from justice, and the OSP shall take all necessary legal steps to secure his return to the jurisdiction and attendance at the OSP at our choosing,” a statement from the OSP confirming that the former Finance Minister had been removed from the wanted list stated.

Lawsuit

In March 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta filed a lawsuit against the OSP and the Special Prosecutor, seeking compensation for what he called an unlawful declaration of him as wanted and asked for the removal of related publications from the OSP’s social media.

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.