The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court has dismissed an application by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta seeking to nullify an arrest warrant issued by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), ruling that the request was without merit.
Mr Ofori-Atta had argued that both the arrest warrant and related steps taken by the OSP—such as the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice—were unlawful.
However, the court disagreed, affirming the legitimacy of the actions taken by the Special Prosecutor.
The decision comes as a significant legal victory for Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, who earlier this year publicly described the former minister as a “wanted fugitive” during a press briefing in Accra. Mr Agyebeng claimed that Mr Ofori-Atta had left the country to evade accountability and urged him to return voluntarily or face the consequences.
The court held that the OSP followed due process and found no evidence of procedural irregularities or abuse of power.
Mr Ofori-Atta, a key figure in the Akufo-Addo administration, is currently the subject of five separate corruption-related investigations by the OSP. These include:
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited & GRA Agreement – involving revenue assurance services in the petroleum and mineral sectors.
ECG and Beijing Technology Contract Termination – examining the circumstances surrounding the abrupt cancellation of a power distribution loss reduction project.
National Cathedral Project – probing procurement and disbursement of funds for the controversial religious monument.
Procurement of 307 Ambulances – relating to contracts for emergency vehicles.
GRA Tax Refund Account – investigating the use and withdrawals from Ghana Revenue Authority’s tax refund fund.
The court’s decision allows the OSP to proceed with its actions, including the enforcement of the arrest warrant and international alerts.