ACCRA, Ghana (Kaab TV) – Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been placed on Interpol’s Red Notice list, following allegations of corruption and abuse of public office for personal gain.
This development comes after Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) declared Ofori-Atta a wanted man and a fugitive from justice.
Authorities say he failed to appear before an investigative panel, and remains outside the country, reportedly receiving medical treatment.
While a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant, it serves as a request to global law enforcement agencies to locate and detain an individual pending possible extradition.
Ofori-Atta, who served as finance minister from January 2017 until February 2024 under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, has denied any wrongdoing.
According to the BBC, he claims to have been treated unlawfully by the OSP. His legal team argues that his medical condition has been ignored by prosecutors.
“We submitted medical records in good faith, and the office has chosen to ignore them,” said Frank Davies, a member of Ofori-Atta’s legal team, in comments to AFP. “The special prosecutor is not being sensitive to the issues at hand, especially knowing that Mr Ofori-Atta is unwell and receiving treatment.”
The 65-year-old is accused of causing financial loss to the state, including irregularities in the procurement process for Ghana’s controversial national cathedral project—an initiative that has reportedly cost the government $58 million, yet remains incomplete.
In February, Ofori-Atta wrote to the OSP requesting the removal of his name from the wanted list, promising to return in May.
The OSP initially accepted the assurance and lifted the notice. However, Ofori-Atta later filed a lawsuit claiming unlawful treatment and asked for related content to be removed from the OSP’s social media pages.
After he failed to appear before the OSP in May as scheduled, the office reinstated the fugitive declaration and formally requested Interpol’s assistance.
“We want him here physically, and we insist on it,” said Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng. “A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations.”
Interpol’s Red Notice, issued late Thursday, states that Ofori-Atta is wanted on charges of “using public office for profit.”
Since taking office in January, President John Mahama has launched a sweeping anti-corruption drive through a new initiative known as Operation Recover All Loot.
The committee has reportedly received more than 200 corruption-related complaints, with an estimated $20 billion in potentially recoverable assets.
Mahama has vowed to make Ghana a hostile environment for corruption and directed the attorney general to pursue all credible cases. However, critics have accused him of selectively discontinuing proceedings involving some of his political allies.