Thursday, 20 February

Ken Ofori-Atta: Fmr Finance Minister no longer a fugitive – OSP declares with caveat

Crime
Ken Ofori-Atta, former Finance Minister

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has removed former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from its wanted list.

On February 12, during a presser, the Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, declared Mr Ofori-Atta a fugitive, who was being pursued by the law for alleged financial malfeasance.

In a press statement dated Tuesday, February 18, 2025, signed by Mr Agyebeng, it was announced to the public “the OSP acceded to Mr. Ofori-Atta's request as it deemed his stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction reasonable in the circumstances”.

However, “if Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to voluntarily return to the jurisdiction cina his stated date, and if Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to attend the OSP on the rescheduled date, he shall be re-entered on the OSP's list of wanted persons and the OSP shall then consider him a fugitive from justice, and the OSP shall take all necessary legal steps to secure his return to the jurisdiction and attendance at the OSP at our own choosing,” the OSP underlined.

Read the entire statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

KENNETH NANA YAW OFORI-ATTA

On 12 February 2025, the Special Prosecutor declared Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, a former Minister of Finance, a wanted person and a fugitive from justice on the ground that he had failed to indicate a reasonable time of his return to the jurisdiction – although he had been informed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that he was suspect in various suspected corruption and corruption-related cases and he had been directed to physically attend the OSP in Accra on a specified date and at a specified time for interviewing,

On 18 February 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta transmitted a communication through his lawyers to the OSP by which he stated a definite date of his voluntary return to the jurisdiction. This marks a major shift ftom Mr. Ofori-Atta's previous intention of remaining outside the jurisdiction indefinitely.

On 18 February 2025, the OSP acceded to Mr. Ofori-Atta's request as it deemed his stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction reasonable in the circumstances.

On 18 February 2025, the Special Prosecutor rescheduled the date of Mr. Ofori-Atta's attendance at the OSP taking into account Mr. Ofori-Atta's stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction.

Consequently, Mr. Ofori-Atta has been removed from the OSP's list of wanted persons and the OSP ceases to consider Mr. Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice pending his voluntary return to the jurisdiction circa his stated date. If Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to voluntarily return to the jurisdiction cina his stated date, and if Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to attend the OSP on the rescheduled date, he shall be re-entered on the OSP's list of wanted persons and the OSP shall then consider him a fugitive from justice, and the OSP shall take all necessary legal steps to secure his return to the jurisdiction and attendance at the OSP at our own choosing.

The OSP is committed to its mandate of ensuring accountability guided by due process and fairness.

[SGD] KISSI AGYEBENG THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR 18 February 2025

Source: classfmonline.com