Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has become the subject of intense scrutiny and legal action, having been re-declared a wanted fugitive by Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). The OSP has also initiated an Interpol Red Notice process for his arrest, a development that has drawn sharp criticism from Mr. Ofori-Atta's family and has been reported by international media, including the Financial Times.

Mr. Ofori-Atta's family released a press statement on June 9, 2025, vehemently condemning the OSP's actions. They described the move as "the very definition of vendetta, making the destruction of a life a sport for political audiences." The family accused the OSP of several infractions, including the deliberate suppression and manipulation of evidence, violation of human rights, particularly Mr. Ofori-Atta's right to health, disregard for judicial proceedings and due process, and a breach of administrative justice.

The family alleges that the OSP may have manipulated evidence to secure an arrest warrant dated February 11, 2025. The warrant, which forms the basis for declaring Mr. Ofori-Atta a fugitive, cites the charge of "using public office for private profit." The family contends that this warrant was obtained under unusual circumstances, noting that court records are unclear about how the OSP secured it without a filed affidavit, a matter currently before the court.

Compounding the situation is Mr. Ofori-Atta's health. He is reportedly scheduled for cancer surgery for prostate cancer and has been seeking medical treatment in the US. His family stated that he had consistently informed the OSP of his medical condition and even offered to submit to a video-recorded interview, which the OSP rejected. They described the OSP's re-declaration of him as a fugitive as a "premeditated theatrical stunt—a public lynching intended to portray a man scheduled for cancer surgery as a fugitive from justice." Two suits have been filed against the OSP, one on March 13, 2025, and another on June 3, challenging the validity of the February 12 arrest warrant.

Mr. Ofori-Atta’s legal team has contacted the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF). They seek to determine if crucial information, such as the human rights suits, a scheduled court hearing on June 18, medical reports from Mayo Clinic doctors, and the upcoming cancer surgery, was disclosed by the OSP and other Ghanaian authorities in their pursuit of the Red Notice. The family argues that failure to disclose this information could violate Articles 2 and 3 of INTERPOL’s constitution, particularly the right to health under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In an interview with the Financial Times before the Interpol Red Notice was issued, Mr. Ofori-Atta, 65, expressed that he was "puzzled and dismayed" by the developments. He stated that he had asked the prosecutor to communicate with his lawyers, given that he would "be out of the country for the next few months" for medical reasons. He denies all charges leveled against him.

Regarding the specifics of the allegations, Mr. Ofori-Atta asserted that he was not the "originating nor implementing minister" in four of the five cases brought up by the prosecutor, which relate to government contracts in the power, petroleum, and health sectors. He is also wanted in connection with an estimated $58 million of public funds spent on Accra's National Cathedral project, a project he, as a devout Christian, had personally backed but which was abandoned two years ago.

These events unfold within a broader political context in Ghana. The National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by President John Mahama who took office in January 2025, won the December presidential election promising to stamp out corruption allegedly prevalent during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. Mr. Ofori-Atta was a leading figure in the NPP government, which was headed by his cousin, Nana Akufo-Addo.

The NPP government, initially promising a clean administration, faced economic challenges, leading to a default on the country's debt in December 2022 and the subsequent seeking of a $3 billion IMF bailout. While Mr. Ofori-Atta, as Finance Minister, attributed these issues to the Covid-19 pandemic and currency depreciation, critics pointed to government profligacy as a contributing factor.

President Mahama's administration launched "Operation Recover All Loot (Oral)," which, in a report submitted in February, claimed that more than $20 billion had been stolen. Bright Simons, head of research at the Imani think-tank in Accra, commented that Mahama's anti-corruption campaign is a response to public anger over a "deepening sense of impunity" among the political elite, with "high-profile prosecutions" being central to this strategy.

Despite being considered one of Africa's successful democracies with a reasonably buoyant economy (despite the 2022 default), the capital, Accra, has reportedly been gripped by fear since the corruption probe began. Officials who served in the Akufo-Addo government are said to be concerned about being targeted, with many describing the campaign as vindictive and attention-grabbing. An example cited is the March raid on the private residence of Ernest Addison, former central bank chief, by heavily armed soldiers searching for "vaults," though none were reportedly found.

Mr. Simons also noted that President Mahama, whose previous administration (2012-2017) faced its own corruption allegations, has not yet made the "substantive changes" needed to eradicate the perception of pervasive graft. The Imani think-tank and civil society are advocating for greater transparency in government spending, merit-based appointments, "lifestyle audits" for government officials, and the implementation of unexplained wealth orders.

The OSP, headed by Kissi Agyebeng, remains firm in its stance. Mr. Agyebeng rejected Ofori-Atta's offer for a virtual hearing, stating, "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." This followed an initial thaw in relations which broke down when Ofori-Atta sued the OSP for unlawful treatment and demanded the removal of "damaging" content from its social media.

The OSP has stated that the former finance minister is a suspect in five specific cases it is investigating: 1. Revenue Assurance Contracts involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). 2. The National Cathedral Project, scrutinizing procurement and financial transactions. 3. Ambulance Procurement, concerning a Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited. 4. Electricity Company Contract Termination, assessing the cancellation of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC). 5. GRA Tax P-Fund Management, reviewing the handling of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account.

In their concluding remarks, Mr. Ofori-Atta's family reaffirmed that since his appointment as Minister for Finance in 2017 until his tenure ended in 2024 (the longest in Ghana's history), he has consistently demonstrated transparency and cooperation with all legal and parliamentary investigations, including a parliamentary censure process.