The family of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is alleging prosecutorial overreach by the country’s anti-corruption agency, accusing it of abusing its authority in a politically charged case that has sparked international attention.
In a sharply worded statement released over the weekend, relatives of Mr. Ofori-Atta accused the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) of manipulating legal procedures and violating the former minister’s fundamental rights in its pursuit of an arrest warrant and subsequent INTERPOL Red Notice.
The Red Notice, issued in connection with a February 11 warrant alleging that Mr. Ofori-Atta used public office for personal gain, has been challenged by the family, which has filed formal requests with both INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau and its Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) seeking its removal.
“There is no formal charge stated beyond what appears on the Arrest Warrant,” the family said. “Court records are unclear on how the OSP secured the warrant without filing a supporting affidavit.”
The statement went further, accusing the Special Prosecutor of circumventing Ghana’s judicial protocols, exploiting media channels to label Mr. Ofori-Atta a fugitive, and ignoring due process—including a Human Rights Court case scheduled for hearing on June 18.
The former minister, who served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024, has been undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, since 2021. He was diagnosed with cancer in March and is scheduled for surgery on June 13, the family said. Despite submitting medical documentation to the OSP, the office reportedly rejected a proposed video interview due to his condition and reissued a wanted notice.
“These actions do not reflect the conduct of a man evading justice, but rather one confronting it to assert his innocence,” the family stated, pointing to Mr. Ofori-Atta’s previous appearances before Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Parliament, and other investigative bodies.
Critics of the Special Prosecutor, an independent office established to fight corruption, have increasingly voiced concern over its methods in recent high-profile probes. The Ofori-Atta case, in particular, has drawn scrutiny amid broader political tensions in the run-up to Ghana’s general elections.
“This is a blatant attempt to humiliate him,” the family said. “Rather than focusing on its investigative mandate, the OSP appears fixated on compelling Mr. Ofori-Atta’s return under duress.”
The statement described the proceedings as part of a “politically motivated vendetta” and argued that the office’s actions run afoul of Ghana’s Constitution and international human rights standards.
Mr. Ofori-Atta, a former investment banker who played a key role in Ghana’s economic recovery program and debt restructuring negotiations with the IMF, remains in the United States under medical care. His family said he intends to return to Ghana and face the OSP once he has recovered.
“We are confident that, once the investigations conclude, Mr. Ofori-Atta will be fully acquitted and vindicated in the eyes of the nation,” the statement said.
Source:TheDotNews q