The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has directed former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to present himself in person at its headquarters on Monday, June 2, 2025. The OSP issued a stern warning in a statement on Sunday, June 1, 2025, indicating that failure to comply with this summons will result in severe consequences. Should Mr. Ofori-Atta fail to honour the directive, he will be reinstated on the OSP's list of wanted persons, officially declared a fugitive from justice, and the OSP will initiate processes to issue an INTERPOL Red Notice, potentially leading to his international arrest and extradition.

This directive is a part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption and abuse of office during Mr. Ofori-Atta's tenure as Minister of Finance under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. It is noteworthy that Mr. Ofori-Atta was previously taken off the OSP’s wanted list following what authorities described as “significant cooperation.” However, that decision now hangs in the balance as the June 2 deadline approaches.

The OSP is investigating Mr. Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta over five major issues. These include: contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) related to petroleum and minerals revenue assurance; the termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC); procurement procedures and financial transactions related to the National Cathedral project; a Ministry of Health contract with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the purchase and maintenance of 307 ambulances; and the handling and disbursement of funds from the Tax P-Fund Account of the GRA.

The sequence of events leading to the current summons began in January 2025, when the OSP officially notified Mr. Ofori-Atta that he was a suspect in these five separate cases and requested his appearance on February 10, 2025. Mr. Ofori-Atta's lawyers responded by informing the OSP that he was abroad indefinitely for medical reasons and offered to represent him in his absence. The OSP rejected the claim of indefinite absence, demanded a firm return date by February 10, 2025, and warned of legal consequences for non-compliance, reminding them that legal representatives cannot respond to criminal charges on behalf of clients.

On February 10, 2025, Mr. Ofori-Atta's lawyers submitted a doctor’s note stating he was undergoing tests and possibly surgery, with no clear return date. Consequently, on February 12, 2025, the OSP declared Mr. Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice and acted on an arrest warrant. Subsequently, on February 18, 2025, Mr. Ofori-Atta appealed to the OSP to remove his name from the ‘Wanted List’ and provided a definite return date in May 2025. The OSP accepted his assurance and removed his name from the list.

In March 2025, Mr. Ofori-Atta filed a lawsuit against the OSP and the Special Prosecutor, seeking compensation for what he termed an unlawful declaration of him as wanted, and requested the removal of related publications from the OSP’s social media channels. The High Court in Accra (Human Rights Court) heard an interim application from Mr. Ofori-Atta on March 28, 2025, in which he sought to bar the OSP from declaring him wanted again.

Following these legal proceedings and interactions, the OSP has now issued the final deadline of June 2, 2025, for Mr. Ofori-Atta to report in person to its headquarters. The OSP reiterates that if he fails to appear, his name will be added back to the list of wanted persons, he will again be declared a fugitive from justice, and the office will proceed with requesting an INTERPOL Red Notice against him.