Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta
Former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has spoken out about the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) criminal probe into him, expressing his displeasure with recent developments.
In an open letter dated February 26, Mr. Ofori-Atta sought to correct the record, describing the situation as both perplexing and upsetting.
His response follows a wanted notice issued against him by the OSP, which was later withdrawn.
According to the OSP, the investigation focused on several financial transactions, including the Strategic Mobilization-GRA contract, the termination of the ECG-BXC contract, payments for the National Cathedral, ambulance purchases, and the use of the Tax Refund Account.
Subsequently, the OSP confirmed that Mr. Ofori-Atta had officially communicated his intention to return voluntarily. As a result, he was removed from the wanted list, though the office cautioned that failure to return as promised would result in further legal action.
Reflecting on the situation, Mr. Ofori-Atta expressed his confusion about the unfolding events.
“I have been in the news recently in quite a dramatic manner. I thought it important to share with you the facts surrounding recent events and news articles concerning me and Ghana’s Special Prosecutor. I am as puzzled and dismayed as I suspect you must be.
“I was out of the country on January 24 for medical reasons when the Special Prosecutor invited me to an in-person meeting on February 10, 2025, in connection with four ‘corruption and corruption-related cases.’ I was neither the originating nor the implementing Minister in any of these portfolios. I immediately responded through my lawyers, indicating my willingness to have them provide any information required for the investigation, given that I would be out of the country for the next few months for medical reasons,” a report by citinewsroom.com quotes Ofori-Atta as saying.
He added, “The Special Prosecutor rejected the offer to meet with my lawyers, insisting on a firm date for my personal attendance. Instead, on February 11, my home was raided by armed National Security operatives. The Special Prosecutor remarked that I had staged the raid on my own home and subsequently launched an international campaign, declaring that I was a wanted ‘fugitive from justice.’”
KA
Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below: