Oluwatosin Enesi
Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been placed on Interpol’s Red Notice list at the request of Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). He is facing serious allegations of corruption, including the embezzlement of $58 million through fraudulent and non-existent government projects during his tenure.
According to Ghanaian prosecutors, Ofori-Atta fled the country and is currently abroad, allegedly to avoid prosecution. The 65-year-old, who served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, is being sought for “using public office for profit,” as stated in the Red Notice.
Although a Red Notice is not an arrest warrant, it serves as a global request for law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally detain a wanted person pending extradition.
Ofori-Atta has not publicly responded to the latest charges, but through his legal team, he has described the actions of the OSP as unjust. His lawyer, Frank Davies, criticized the Special Prosecutor, claiming medical records were submitted to explain his absence from the country.
“We submitted medical records in good faith, and the office has chosen to ignore them,” Davies said. “The Special Prosecutor is not being sensitive to the issues at hand, especially knowing that Mr. Ofori-Atta is unwell and receiving treatment.”
The former minister had previously appealed to the OSP in February 2025, offering a specific return date in May and requesting his removal from the wanted list. That appeal was initially granted, but he failed to return or appear before an investigative panel as scheduled. As a result, the OSP reinstated his status as a fugitive and escalated the matter to Interpol.
Among the allegations is Ofori-Atta’s role in the procurement process for Ghana’s controversial national cathedral project, which remains incomplete despite reportedly costing $58 million. Prosecutors claim significant financial losses to the state were incurred due to irregularities under his leadership.
The government of President John Mahama, who assumed office in January 2025 after defeating the NPP in the December 2024 elections, has launched an aggressive anti-corruption initiative dubbed Operation Recover All Loot. The investigative committee has so far received over 200 corruption complaints, with potential recoverable funds estimated at more than $20 billion.
President Mahama has pledged to clamp down on corruption across party lines, asserting that Ghana will no longer serve as a refuge for the corrupt. However, critics have questioned the integrity of the campaign, pointing to the dismissal of some cases involving Mahama’s own political allies.
With the Interpol Red Notice now in effect, international authorities may assist in locating and detaining Ofori-Atta, pending possible extradition to Ghana. The OSP maintains that the former minister must return to face justice in person.
“A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations,” said Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng. “We want him here physically, and we insist on it.”
The case remains one of the most high-profile anti-corruption efforts in Ghana’s recent history and continues to stir both political and public debate.
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