PLAYBACK: OSP provides updates on Ken Ofori-Atta, ongoing cases

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has given fresh updates on its investigations involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and other important cases.

According to the OSP, Mr. Ofori-Atta is being investigated for five major issues that happened during his time in office. These include:

Petroleum and Minerals Revenue Contract: This is about a deal between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML Ghana), which was meant to help track and collect revenue from oil and mineral resources.

Termination of BXC Contract: The OSP is looking into why the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) ended its contract with a Chinese company called Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC).

National Cathedral Project: The OSP is also examining the way government contracts were awarded and money was used for the National Cathedral project.

Ambulance Procurement: Another issue is a contract signed by the Ministry of Health to buy and service 307 ambulances from Service Ghana Auto Group Limited.

Tax P-Fund of the GRA: Finally, the OSP is investigating how funds from the GRA’s Tax P-Fund Account were handled and spent.

Ofori-Atta’s Absence and Legal Tussle

In January 2025, the special prosecutor officially told Mr Ofori-Atta to appear before them in person on February 10, 2025. But his lawyers replied that he had traveled outside the country for medical reasons and didn’t know when he would return. They asked to represent him instead.

The OSP did not agree. They insisted that criminal cases require the person involved to be present in person and warned of legal consequences if he failed to show up. On the day of the appointment (February 10), his lawyers brought a doctor’s note saying he was undergoing medical tests and might need surgery, with no confirmed return date.

On February 12, 2025, the OSP declared Ken Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice and moved to enforce a warrant for his arrest.

But on February 18, 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta contacted the OSP again, promising to return to Ghana by May. The special prosecutor accepted this assurance and removed his name from the wanted list.

Court Case Against OSP

In March 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta filed a lawsuit against the Special Prosecutor. He said declaring him a fugitive was unlawful and demanded that the OSP delete all social media posts that labelled him as wanted. On March 28, the Human Rights Court in Accra heard his request to stop the OSP from making such declarations again in the future.

Meanwhile, the OSP has set a final deadline of June 2, 2025, for Ken Ofori-Atta to appear at its office in person for questioning. It is not clear whether he has met the deadline yet, but the public awaits the next move in this high-profile case.

This is one of several major investigations the Special Prosecutor is currently handling, as the office continues its anti-corruption drive.