THE long arm of international law has caught up with Ghana’s former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who now faces forcible return to his home country to answer corruption charges involving millions of dollars in public funds.
Interpol issued a red notice for Ofori-Atta’s arrest on June 2, four days after Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor declared the 65-year-old a wanted person for failing to appear at a scheduled interrogation. The red notice requests law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and detain the former minister pending extradition proceedings.
Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister under former President Nana Akufo-Addo for seven years until early 2024, is being investigated over multiple high-profile corruption allegations. These include misuse of petroleum revenues, questionable electricity supply contracts, irregular ambulance procurement deals, and his alleged role in a controversial national cathedral project that consumed tens of millions of dollars in public money while producing little more than an excavated site.
Prosecutors allege the former minister used his public office for personal enrichment. His current whereabouts remain unclear, though he is reportedly seeking medical treatment abroad. Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor has identified possible locations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Guyana, Hong Kong, and the Cayman Islands.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has rejected requests from Ofori-Atta’s legal team to conduct interrogations virtually, citing medical reasons. “We will not countenance this conduct, not in this case,” Agyebeng told local media on Monday, insisting the former minister must appear in person.
Frank Davies, a member of Ofori-Atta’s legal team, defended his client’s absence, saying medical records had been submitted “in good faith” but were ignored by prosecutors. “The special prosecutor is not being sensitive to the issues at hand, especially knowing that Mr Ofori-Atta is unwell and receiving treatment,” Davies said Friday.
The case represents the most prominent action in President John Mahama’s administration’s campaign to hold former government officials accountable. Ghana’s Attorney General is currently building 33 cases of corruption and related offences against appointees from the previous government.
The Interpol red notice significantly increases the likelihood that Ofori-Atta will be detained if he attempts to travel internationally or seeks medical treatment in member countries, potentially forcing his return to Ghana to face the corruption charges that have now pursued against him across international borders.
