Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has entered the fray in the intensifying standoff between ex-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), offering a stark warning drawn from Ghana’s judicial history. His intervention comes as tensions reach new heights, with Ofori-Atta now the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice requested by the OSP.
In a sharply worded commentary, Amidu cautioned current Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng against wielding institutional power without reflection or humility. He invoked the controversial legacy of the late Chief Justice I.K. Abban, who, according to Amidu, mocked a colleague’s illness only to suffer a similar fate.
“But let Kissi Agyebeng be told,” Amidu warned, “that former Chief Justice I. K. Abban made light of Mr. Justice G.E.K. Aikins’ prostate cancer with disparaging statements of him. Justice Abban… also developed prostate cancer and died twelve days after being blackmailed to voluntarily retire.”
Justice Abban’s retirement on 9 April 2001 under contentious circumstances and his subsequent death less than two weeks later contrasted sharply with the fate of Justice Aikins, who outlived him by more than a decade, passing in 2013. Amidu framed the episode as a cautionary tale about the perils of abusing power.
The OSP announced on June 2 that Ken Ofori-Atta had failed to provide medical documentation to support his claim of being unwell and unable to appear before the office as required. Special Prosecutor Agyebeng accused the former minister of acting in bad faith, stating that the office’s patience had “been exhausted.”
However, Ofori-Atta’s legal team has pushed back strongly. Lead counsel Frank Davies, in an interview with Citi FM, dismissed the OSP’s assertion as “a blatant falsehood.”
“The medical report was in the court documents filed on May 27 and served on the Special Prosecutor,” Davies said. “Unless he doesn’t read his court processes thoroughly, he would have seen it.”
Describing the OSP’s position as “distressing,” Davies added, “It is unfortunate that he [Agyebeng] is holding such a public office and making statements that are not backed by the record.”
In a major escalation, the OSP has successfully secured an INTERPOL Red Notice against Ofori-Atta. The international alert was published on Wednesday, June 5, as part of efforts to track and provisionally arrest the former minister, who is reportedly receiving medical treatment in the United States.
The Red Notice lists Ofori-Atta as wanted for “Using Public Office for Profit,” in connection with ongoing investigations into high-profile corruption allegations. These include the controversial National Cathedral project and the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract, both of which have raised serious questions about procurement irregularities and potential misuse of public funds.
This marks the second time the OSP has declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive. Earlier this year, the office cited his failure to respond to a formal summons and labelled him as avoiding justice.
The current face-off pits two high-profile figures—Agyebeng and Ofori-Atta—at the center of a national reckoning on corruption, accountability, and the integrity of public institutions. Amidu’s intervention adds moral gravity to an already volatile legal and political saga.
As the OSP intensifies efforts to bring Ofori-Atta before the law and his legal team mounts a vigorous defence, the Ghanaian public watches closely, with the outcome likely to shape the country’s anti-corruption landscape for years to come.
