Ghana’s former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been declared a fugitive and placed on Interpol’s Red Notice list for allegedly using his public office for personal gain.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) initiated the Red Notice request after Ofori-Atta failed to appear before an investigative panel despite multiple summons.
Ofori-Atta is accused of causing financial losses to the state, including questions over procurement procedures in the building of a controversial national cathedral, which allegedly saw $58 million of government money spent without completion.
The OSP had previously accepted Ofori-Atta’s assurance to return to Ghana in May and removed his name from the wanted list.
However, after he failed to appear, the OSP re-declared him a wanted person and a fugitive from justice.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng emphasized that Ofori-Atta’s physical presence is required for the investigation, stating, “A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations.”
Ofori-Atta’s lawyers had offered to represent him in his absence, but the OSP insisted on his physical presence.
The Red Notice request seeks international cooperation to track down and extradite Ofori-Atta to face justice.
