The Attorney-General’s Department has confirmed it is actively collaborating with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to facilitate the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who is currently in the United States.
Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, stated that legal processes are fully underway to ensure Mr. Ofori-Atta’s return to Ghana to face ongoing investigations. “There must be a different extradition process which will assist us so that wherever you are found, we trigger that for you to be arrested, and you go through process in the country and then you are shipped to Ghana for prosecution. That is the job of the Attorney General to oversee that,” Dr. Srem Sai explained in an interview with Joy News on Wednesday, June 12. He added, “We are currently in the process of having him extradited to Ghana, wherever he is.”
Mr. Ofori-Atta is reportedly in the U.S. awaiting cancer surgery scheduled for June 13, 2025, at the Mayo Medical Clinic. Despite his stated health condition, the Ghanaian government is proceeding with efforts to bring him back for prosecution.
The former Finance Minister is under investigation by the OSP for alleged corruption and procurement breaches committed during his tenure.
Key Issues Under Investigation:
- Petroleum and Minerals Revenue Assurance: Focus on contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
- Electricity Company Contract Termination: Investigation into the termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC).
- National Cathedral Project: Scrutiny of procurement procedures and financial transactions related to the National Cathedral.
- Ambulance Procurement: Examination of a Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the purchase and maintenance of 307 ambulances.
- GRA Tax P-Fund Management: Inquiry into the handling and disbursement of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account of the GRA.
Timeline of Events:
- January 2025: The OSP officially notified Mr. Ofori-Atta that he was a suspect in five separate cases and requested his appearance on February 10, 2025.
- January 31, 2025: His lawyers informed the OSP that he was abroad indefinitely for medical reasons and offered to represent him in his absence.
- February 5, 2025: The OSP rejected the claim of indefinite absence, demanding a firm return date by February 10, 2025, and warning of legal consequences. It also reiterated that legal representatives cannot respond to criminal charges on behalf of clients.
- February 10, 2025: His lawyers submitted a doctor’s note (not addressed to any specific party), indicating he was undergoing tests and possibly surgery, with no clear return date.
- February 12, 2025: With no further cooperation, the OSP declared Mr. Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice, acting on an arrest warrant.
- February 18, 2025: Mr. Ofori-Atta appealed to the OSP for removal from the ‘Wanted List’ and, for the first time, provided a definite return date in May 2025. The OSP accepted this assurance and removed his name from the list.
Legal Challenge:
- March 2025: Mr. Ofori-Atta filed a lawsuit against the OSP and the Special Prosecutor, seeking compensation for what he described as an unlawful declaration of him as wanted. He also requested the removal of related content from the OSP’s social media platforms.
- March 28, 2025: The Human Rights Court heard an interim application from Mr. Ofori-Atta, asking the court to restrain the OSP from declaring him wanted again.
Sources
