Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has once again been declared a wanted person by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), following his failure to appear for questioning on Monday, June 2, 2025.
At a news conference in Accra, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng revealed that lawyers for Mr. Ofori-Atta had informed the OSP that their client has been diagnosed with cancer.
However, Mr. Agyebeng raised concerns about the credibility of the excuse, suggesting it could be part of a deliberate effort to evade justice.
Timeline of evasion
The former Finance Minister was first declared a “fugitive from justice” in February 2025 after failing to honour repeated invitations by the OSP to assist in investigations into multiple high-profile corruption cases. These include:
- His role in the controversial revenue assurance contract with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML)
- Financial dealings related to the construction of the National Cathedral
- A series of other procurement and expenditure issues during his tenure from 2017 to 2024
Mr. Ofori-Atta was temporarily removed from the wanted list on February 18, 2025, after his legal team provided assurances that he would return to Ghana and report to the OSP on June 2. That date has now passed without his appearance.
Cancer diagnosis cited
Special Prosecutor Agyebeng confirmed that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s legal team submitted medical documents citing an “unexpected deterioration” in his health and a recent cancer diagnosis. The team proposed that the former Minister be allowed to give a caution statement virtually under the Electronic Transactions Act.
