By: Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
The Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra has dismissed an application filed by former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, seeking to strike out a warrant issued for his arrest by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Mr Ofori-Atta had argued that the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng had unlawfully obtained the warrant and asked the court to set aside all related proceedings, including an Interpol Red Notice alert.
However, the court this morning, July 31, 2025 ruled that the application lacked merit and dismissed it in its entirety according to a statement by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
This follows the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng declaring Mr Ofori-Atta wanted due to his failure to appear for questioning in connection with several investigations, including alleged procurement irregularities, offshore transactions, and financial misconduct during his tenure as Finance Minister.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers argued that the OSP’s actions were unjust and arbitrary, and that their client was not deliberately avoiding the OSP.
He had indicated that the OSP’s actions breached his constitutional rights to liberty, freedom of movement, and administrative justice. He sought a permanent injunction to restrain the OSP from referring to him as a fugitive and to delete all such references from public platforms.
The OSP maintained that Ofori-Atta’s absence was obstructing its work in relation to the investigations, hence, the public notice to assist in his arrest. The OSP also rejected Mr Ofori-Atta’s request for a virtual meeting, insisting that he must appear physically for questioning.
The OSP is however reportedly engaging with relevant international authorities to ensure enforcement of the notice and secure Mr Ofori-Atta’s return to Ghana.
