In a dramatic turn of events, the Special Prosecutor (SP), Kissi Agyebeng, has, effective Monday, June 2, 2025, re-declared former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice, reinstating him on the wanted list.
The SP, visibly incensed, vowed there would be no preferential treatment, sternly reminding all that even a former President had previously faced the Office’s scrutiny.
“What is so special about Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, that he thinks he can lie on his bed somewhere and say on his say-so, without any evidence, that ‘I’m unwell, I can’t show up’?” Agyebeng queried pointedly at a press briefing held yesterday at the Office of the Special Prosecutor in Accra.
“Even a former president showed up when invited. Have you forgotten? He was served the same process and complied—much less a former finance minister.”
INTERPOL RED NOTICE ISSUED
In a decisive move, the SP announced that an INTERPOL Red Notice has been triggered for the location and provisional arrest of Mr. Ofori-Atta.
This action initiates extradition processes to bring him back from any of the 190 countries with which INTERPOL has a treaty, to assist in criminal investigations.
“About 30 minutes before this brief, I triggered processes for the issuance of an INTERPOL red notice for the location and provisional arrest of Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta in whichever jurisdiction, pending extradition or his surrender,” the Special Prosecutor revealed.
A copy of the notice, sighted by The New Republic, explicitly states that the former Databank founder is wanted to answer charges in connection with several cases, including the Strategic Mobilization-GRA contract, Termination of ECG-BXC contract, National Cathedral payments, Ambulance Procurement contract, and Tax Refund Accountant Utilization.
Sources close to the OSP suggest Ofori-Atta may be “hiding” in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong Kong, and Guyana.
This latest declaration comes after the 66-year-old failed to appear before the OSP yesterday, June 2, violating an earlier agreement that had led to his temporary removal from the wanted list.
The SP warned that his office would no longer entertain excuses from the former minister or his legal team.
“This office has always requested his attendance, and we have indicated clearly to him that we are unwilling to waive it.
If we were amenable to taking any statement from Ken Ofori-Atta in absentia, we would have done so in February, and not waited till June 2, 2025,” Agyebeng asserted.
“We want him here physically, and we insist on it. A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations and the methods suitable to him and his convenience. We will not countenance this conduct, not in this case.”
A HISTORY OF EVASION?
The OSP had initially declared Mr. Ofori-Atta a “fugitive from justice” in February 2025, citing his repeated non-compliance with summons for questioning regarding multiple corruption allegations.
His name was temporarily removed from the wanted list on February 18, 2025, in “good faith,” after his legal team provided a definite date for his voluntary return and appearance – today, June 2, 2025.
Subsequent to this, the former minister, through his lawyers, initiated a lawsuit against the OSP, a matter currently pending at an Accra Human Rights Court. In March, Kissi Agyebeng issued a stern warning, reiterating that all previous actions would be re-instated if the suspect failed to appear in person on the agreed date.
The SP’s release from March warned: “If Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to attend the OSP on the scheduled date, he shall be re-entered on the OSP’s list of wanted persons and the OSP shall consider him a fugitive from justice, whereupon the OSP will cause the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice in his regard and also cause the initiation of extradition proceedings in any jurisdiction in which he may be found.”
The release concluded by emphasizing the OSP’s “unwavering commitment to enforcing the law and ensuring that Mr. Ofori-Atta answers for his role as the prime suspect in five ongoing corruption and corruption-related investigations.”
MEDICAL EXCUSE DISMISSED
Six days before the slated date, on May 28, 2025, Ofori-Atta’s lawyers informed the OSP that their client could not appear in person, citing a cancer diagnosis and scheduled surgery this month. However, the SP remains unconvinced.
“If he is sick, he should provide a medical report,” Agyebeng demanded. “He is not the only one receiving treatment in the U.S. We know what real medical reports look like—signed by hospital administrators and reviewed through detailed analysis.”
Agyebeng further cited the former minister’s failure to inform the OSP that his previously scheduled surgery in March did not take place, despite an agreement to return to Ghana by June 2.
“Since March 21, Ken knew no surgery was to be performed and sat indolently.
That’s why we’ve ended this process and placed him on the wanted list,” Agyebeng stated emphatically, adding, “No person is beyond the enquiry of the OSP. We will take all necessary steps to ensure he is brought back to face justice.”
VIRTUAL APPEARANCE REJECTED
Despite his inability to appear in person, the ex-minister pledged his commitment to submit himself via video conference, a suggestion the SP vehemently opposed.
The OSP viewed the May 28 offer of a video interview and biopsy report as a “surprise” tactic.
“The OSP declined the video interview,” Mr. Agyebeng stated, emphasizing that such an option would have been considered in February, but not now.
He firmly declared, “A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose the conduct of the investigation.”
LAWYER CRIES FOUL
Meanwhile, Frank Davies, a member of Ofori-Atta’s legal team, has publicly criticized the Special Prosecutor, describing his client’s treatment as “unfair.”
Speaking to Channel One News, Davies argued that Agyebeng’s decision to declare his client a wanted person and initiate extradition proceedings were unjust.
“Ken Ofori-Atta has been unwell for some time now — this is public knowledge. His medical condition did not begin after the government left office.
He has been receiving treatment and has been outside the country for several months.
Based on medical advice, the circumstances have changed, and that is why the June 2 appointment must be reconsidered,” Davies explained.
While confirming an initial agreement for Ofori-Atta to appear on June 2, 2025, Davies insisted that the request for a virtual interview was legitimate and reasonable under the current conditions.
Rejecting claims of evasion, Davies maintained that Ofori-Atta remains fully cooperative with the ongoing legal process.
“Is physical presence the only legal form of engagement in this country? Has the Electronic Transactions Act ceased to apply? We hold video interviews with our loved ones and colleagues across the world every day — why should this be different?” he questioned, challenging the OSP’s stance.