OSP removes former Finance Minister from wanted list

The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has removed the former Minister of Finance, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, from its list of wanted persons. 

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) has acceded to Mr Ofori-Atta's request, a statement signed by the Special Prosecutor has revealed.

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

Reschedule

The statement added that the Special Prosecutor had rescheduled the date of Mr Ofori-Atta's attendance at the OSP, taking into account his stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction.

Consequently, Mr Ofori-Atta has been removed from the OSP's list of wanted persons and the OSP ceases to consider Mr Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice, pending his voluntary return to the jurisdiction circa his stated date.

The statement added that, “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 own choosing”. 

Background

On February 12, this year, the Special Prosecutor declared the former Finance Minister wanted after describing him as a “fugitive of 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.

Narrating what necessitated declaring Mr Ofori-Atta wanted, Mr Agyebeng stated that on January 24, this year, the OSP, in a letter, directed the former Finance Minister to show up in person at its offices for an interview.

Prior to this invitation, the Special Prosecutor said Mr Ofori-Atta had already travelled outside the country on or about January 2, 2025.

“By communication dated January 31, 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta instructed his lawyers to inform the OSP that he was out of the jurisdiction indefinitely on medical grounds and that the firm would notify the OSP of his arrival in the country in aid of rescheduling his personal attendance at the OSP,” Mr Agyebeng said.

“Further, the firm offered its willingness to provide the OSP with any information the OSP may require to aid in the investigation until his arrival in the country,” he added.

A copy of the letter written by the lawyers of Mr Ofori-Atta to the OSP as sighted by the Daily Graphic indicated that the lawyers told the OSP that their client had already given an earlier notice of his trip outside the country for medical reasons to the former Chief of Staff and the current Chief of Staff at the presidency.

Response

The Special Prosecutor said his office responded to the said letter on February 5, 2025, in which it insisted on Mr Ofori-Atta’s attendance in person at the OSP.

“Consequently, the OSP directed Mr Ofori-Atta to indicate by close of business on Monday, February 10, 2025, a reasonable date of his return to the jurisdiction and attendance at the OSP,” he said.

“The OSP warned Mr Ofori-Atta that if he failed so to do, the OSP would take all necessary legal steps to secure his return to the jurisdiction and attendance at the OSP at our own choosing,” he added.

Mr Agyebeng further explained that on February 10, 2025, lawyers for the former minister wrote again to the OSP about a medical report which said Mr Ofori-Atta had been “evaluated and that he was undergoing further testing and management and possible surgical intervention at an indicated future time”.

“On account of the purported letter, Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers prayed that the attendance in person of Mr Ofori-Atta at the OSP should be fixed taking into account the medical report from his doctors,” he said.

Mr Agyebeng, however, stated that the medical report did not indicate that the former Finance Minister was “incapacitated” or too sick to honour the invitation of the OSP.

The OSP, he insisted, required the personal appearance of the former minister.