Ghanaian academic Dr. Frank Bannor has challenged the government’s prioritization of extradition proceedings against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta while convicted MASLOC official Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu remains at large.
The Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Economic Research and Public Policy accused authorities of selective justice in a social media statement.
“Between Ken Ofori-Atta and Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who is a fugitive from justice?” Bannor questioned, referencing Tamakloe-Attionu’s 10-year prison sentence for financial crimes and absence from Ghana.
Bannor asserted that Ofori-Atta’s whereabouts are known and his return anticipated post-surgery, contrasting with Tamakloe-Attionu’s status.
“If Mahama and his people, including Kissi Agyebeng, want to bring people home to face trial, why are they not bringing the guilty Sedina home?” he wrote. The criticism follows the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s announcement initiating Ofori-Atta’s extradition for corruption charges despite documented medical treatment abroad.
Ofori-Atta’s legal team defended his absence as medically justified. Lead Counsel Frank Davies questioned the Special Prosecutor’s commentary on his client’s health, stating medical documentation was properly submitted. “Does it lie in his domain to make this comment?” Davies asked, adding prosecutors cannot legally diagnose conditions.
The legal team also contested any potential in absentia trial, emphasizing due process requirements. A Human Rights Court ruling on Ofori-Atta’s “wanted person” designation is pending this month. The divergent cases highlight ongoing tensions in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts involving former officials from successive administrations.
