In a dramatic escalation of Ghana’s anti-corruption campaign, former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has officially been listed as “Wanted” by Interpol, marking the first time a high-level former government official from Ghana has been the subject of an international Red Notice.
The move follows a re-declaration by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that Ofori-Atta is a fugitive after failing to appear for interrogation on June 2. The OSP announced it had initiated extradition proceedings and formally requested Interpol’s involvement to compel his return to Ghana.
“We are treating this as a case of international flight from justice,” the Special Prosecutor said during a June 2 press conference.
Ofori-Atta’s listing on Interpol’s Red Notice database means he is now subject to arrest in any of Interpol’s 195 member countries. The charge listed is “using public office for profit.”
He is being investigated in relation to five major corruption-related cases, including:
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The SML-GRA revenue assurance deal in Ghana’s petroleum and mining sectors;
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The controversial termination of a contract between ECG and Chinese firm BXC;
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Procurement irregularities in the stalled National Cathedral project;
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A probe into a Ministry of Health ambulance procurement contract; and
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Alleged mismanagement of the GRA Tax P-Fund Account.
Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister from 2017 until early 2024, was widely seen as one of the most influential figures in the Akufo-Addo administration. His fall from grace, now punctuated by a global arrest warrant, sends a strong signal about the current government’s stated zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
Legal analysts say the case could become a defining test for Ghana’s justice system and its ability to hold elite officials accountable beyond their tenure in public office.
The Red Notice has sparked wide public and political reactions, with some hailing it as a bold step towards transparency, while others raise concerns about due process and potential political motivations.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor maintains that it is operating within its constitutional mandate to pursue “serious offences involving public corruption.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet commented on whether it has received formal extradition requests or communication from international partners regarding Ofori-Atta’s whereabouts.
