Ofori-Atta Writes From Sick Bed: I’m Storming Ghana In May

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, yesterday told Parliament that Ken Ofori-Atta, the former Finance Minister recently declared a fugitive of justice has promised to voluntarily return to Ghana between May 14 and May 30, 2025.

Mr. Ofori-Atta, after consultations with doctors attending to him in the United States, has said if God permits, he would voluntarily return to his home country by the ending of May 2025, and personally show up at the Office of the Special Persecutor (OSP) as he has been directed to.

Afenyo-Markin, was giving an update on a promise he had made to Parliament earlier this week that he would communicate with Mr. Ofori-Atta so as to ensure that there is the expected cooperation from all sides.

Afenyo-Markin said the communication from Mr. Ofori-Atta regarding his return to Ghana was conveyed through his lawyers in a letter dated Tuesday, February 18, 2025 and addressed to the Special Persecutor, Kissi Agyabeng.

The Office of the Special Persecutor had earlier this week declared Ken Ofori-Atta as a wanted person and a fugitive of justice.

The OSP had also published on its official sites, a poster with the headline “WANTED” which had the photograph and bio-data of Ken Ofori-Atta as well as the exact offences for which he was wanted.

This was after Mr. Ofori-Atta could not tell the OSP when he would return to Ghana, despite official communications to him that he was to appear in person for questioning over alleged corruption and related offences involving his tenure as Finance Minister.

Based on the Tuesday February 18, 2025 letter from lawyers of Ken Ofori-Atta, the OSP announced it had removed his name from the wanted list because there was now a mutual understanding on his whereabouts and when exactly he intends to honour the invitation.

Below is the full text  of a statement issued by the OSP to explain why Ken Ofori-Atta’s name was removed from the wanted list pending his self agreed arrival date.

PRESS RELEASE

KENNETH NANA YAW OFORI-ATTA

On 12 February 2025, the Special Prosecutor declared Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, a former Minister of Finance, a wanted person and a fugitive from justice on the ground that he had failed to indicate a reasonable time of his return to the jurisdiction – although he had been informed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that he was a suspect in various suspected corruption and corruption-related cases and he had been directed to physically attend the OSP in Accra on a specified date and at a specified time for interviewing.

On 18 February 2025, Mr. Ofori-Atta transmitted a communication through his lawyers to the OSP by which he stated a definite date of his voluntary return to the jurisdiction. This marks a major shift from Mr. Ofori-Atta’s previous intention of remaining outside the jurisdiction indefinitely.

On 18 February 2025, the OSP acceded to Mr. Ofori-Atta’s request as it deemed his stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction reasonable in the circumstances. On 18 February 2025, the Special Prosecutor rescheduled the date of Mr. Ofori-Atta’s attendance at the OSP taking into account Mr. Ofori-Atta’s stated date of voluntary return to the jurisdiction.

Consequently, Mr. Ofori-Atta has been removed from the OSP’s list of wanted persons and the OSP ceases to consider Mr. Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice pending his voluntary return to the jurisdiction circa his stated date. If Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to voluntarily return to the jurisdiction circa his stated date, and if Mr. Ofori-Atta fails to attend the OSP on the rescheduled date, he shall be re-entered on the OSP’s list of wanted persons and the OSP shall then consider him a fugitive from justice, and the OSP shall take all necessary legal steps to secure his return to the jurisdiction and attendance at the OSP at our own choosing.

The OSP is committed to its mandate of ensuring accountability guided by due process and fairness.

 

[SGD]

KISSI AGYEBENG

THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

18 February 2025