Ghana’s ex-finance minister declared a fugitive

Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been declared a fugitive by prosecutors over his alleged involvement in multiple corruption cases while in the government.

Ofori-Atta had left Ghana to evade investigations, and all the necessary steps would be taken to bring him back, special prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng has said.

Ofori-Atta has been accused of causing the state financial losses, including over a controversial national cathedral, which remains a hole in the ground despite the alleged spending of US$58 million (about N$1 billion) of government money.

He has not commented on the allegations.

According to Agyabeng, the ex-minister’s lawyers said he was out of the country for medical reasons.

Agyabeng told a press conference that Ofori-Atta (66) failed to attend an interview with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), despite being told he was a suspect.

Ofori-Atta left Ghana in early January, and had no intention of “willingly” returning, Agyabeng said.

The OSP was, therefore, declaring him a “wanted person”. “He is a fugitive from justice,” the special prosecutor added.
Ofori-Atta was the country’s finance minister from January 2017 to February 2024, when the New Patriotic Party was in power.

It lost elections in December to the National Democratic Congress.

President John Mahama, who was inaugurated in January, went on to establish an investigative committee, known as ‘Operation Recover All Loot’.

The committee has received over 200 complaints of corruption, amounting to more than US$20 billion (almost N$4 trillion) in recoverable funds.

Mahama has directed the attorney general and minister of justice to launch investigations into these allegations, stating that Ghana will no longer be a safe haven for corruption.

However, some Ghanaians have criticised him for discontinuing cases against his former allies on trial. – BBC