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Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has officially been listed as a wanted person on Interpol’s global database, with charges cited as “using public office for profit”.
The listing follows an earlier declaration by Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which reissued a warrant for Mr Ofori-Atta after he failed to appear for a scheduled interrogation on June 2.
At a press briefing that same day, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced that his office had formally initiated procedures to place Mr Ofori-Atta on an Interpol Red Notice, paving the way for extradition proceedings to bring him back to Ghana for questioning.
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Mr Ofori-Atta is under investigation for alleged financial misconduct and abuse of office in connection with multiple high-profile government transactions, including:
- Petroleum and Minerals Revenue Assurance: A controversial revenue mobilisation contract involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
- Termination of ECG-BXC Contract: The abrupt cancellation of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Chinese firm Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC).
- National Cathedral Project: Irregularities in procurement and financial transactions tied to the National Cathedral construction.
- Ambulance Procurement Deal: A Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the acquisition and maintenance of 307 ambulances, now under scrutiny.
- GRA’s Tax P-Fund Account: Alleged mismanagement and questionable disbursements from the Ghana Revenue Authority’s tax policy fund.
The Red Notice is not an arrest warrant per se but serves as a formal request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest Ofori-Atta pending extradition or similar legal action. Interpol’s listing significantly escalates the case, extending Ghana’s pursuit of the former minister across international jurisdictions.
The OSP has stressed that the failure of Mr Ofori-Atta to appear in person—despite citing medical grounds—cannot override the legal obligations of a suspect under active criminal investigation.
“A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations,” Mr Agyebeng said, insisting the OSP would not entertain further delays.
Mr Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s finance minister from 2017 to 2023, during which he oversaw major economic policy decisions, including Ghana’s controversial debt restructuring programme and the implementation of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).
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