The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has refuted claims by the Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, that it has failed to respond to requests from the Attorney General’s office regarding the extradition of former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta from the United States.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 20, 2025, the OSP said, “The Office considers it necessary to provide factual clarity on this matter, reaffirm the procedural steps already undertaken, and address security concerns arising from a recent leak of highly sensitive communications that pose grave risks to ongoing investigations and the safety of OSP personnel.”
According to the OSP, it lawfully commenced corruption and corruption-related investigations against Ken Ofori-Atta under its statutory powers contained in the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959). The former minister was notified and directed to appear before the OSP for questioning but allegedly failed to comply.
OSP denies claims of refusing to help AG extradite Ken Ofori-Atta
“Mr. Ofori-Atta, who left the jurisdiction in January 2025, has by his actions shown clearly that he is unwilling to voluntarily return to the jurisdiction to attend the OSP,” the statement read.
The OSP further revealed that intelligence gathered by the office showed that Ofori-Atta has been residing in the United States since January 2025. By the end of May 2025, the office obtained a judicial warrant for his arrest and declared him a fugitive from justice, subsequently placing him on its List of Wanted Persons.
“The Office has since successfully defended several applications filed by Mr. Ofori-Atta in Ghanaian courts, in attempts to have his name removed from the List of Wanted Persons,” it said.
In early June 2025, the OSP said it successfully caused Ofori-Atta to be placed on the INTERPOL Red Notice and initiated his extradition process through the Chief of Staff at the Presidency on June 2, 2025, for his provisional apprehension in whichever jurisdiction he may be found.
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“The Chief of Staff duly transmitted the OSP’s extradition request to the Attorney General on June 3, 2025. The process goes through the Attorney General because his department is the Central Authority for such requests under the Mutual Legal Assistance arrangement. By a letter dated June 13, 2025, the Attorney General informed the Special Prosecutor of the transmission by the Chief of Staff of the OSP’s extradition request,” the OSP said.
The OSP said it responded by a letter dated June 20, 2025, providing the names and contact details of its nominees.
“In respect of the request for a copy of the docket, the Special Prosecutor informed the Attorney General that the OSP was in the process of compiling the various dockets on the subject,” it clarified.
The office maintained that it has “lawfully commenced steps to secure his extradition to Ghana under international legal and diplomatic frameworks” and assured that due process is being followed.
In January 2025, the OSP identified the former minister as a suspect in several corruption-related cases, including alleged irregularities in contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), expenditures linked to the National Cathedral project, and issues in health and tax refund operations.
He was first declared a fugitive from justice in February 2025 after failing to honor repeated summonses by the OSP. Ken Ofori-Atta’s lawyers later requested that his name be removed from the wanted list, promising that he would return.
In June 2025, after he again failed to appear before the OSP on the agreed date, his fugitive status was reinstated, with the OSP indicating it would pursue extradition steps and maintain the INTERPOL Red Notice.
Ten months after being first declared a fugitive, Ken Ofori-Atta has neither been arrested in the United States nor voluntarily returned to Ghana.
Read OSP’s full statement below:
Press Statement pic.twitter.com/Fx78tRTk0E
— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) October 20, 2025
JKB/MA
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