INTERPOL’s Commission for Control Files (CCF) has permanently deleted the Red Notice issued against former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, following arrival of decision that it was of a political nature and did not comply with INTERPOL’s rules.
In a public notice dated February 13, 2026, the Counsel for Mr. Ofori-Atta, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo Esq, announced that the CCF, during its 135th session held on February 4, 2026, concluded that the Red Notice issued against Mr. Ofori-Atta “appears of a predominantly political character” and was therefore non-compliant with INTERPOL’s regulations. The commission ordered that the notice be deleted permanently from INTERPOL’s files.
According to the statement, the CCF, after a thorough examination of the elements before it, found that the data registered by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) of Ghana did not meet INTERPOL’s rules and should be removed from the organisation’s information system.Ghanaian cultural products
INTERPOL’s Constitution prohibits the organisation from undertaking any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. The CCF is the independent body responsible for ensuring that data processed through INTERPOL’s channels comply with its rules and for reviewing requests concerning Red Notices and other alerts.
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal action. While not an international arrest warrant, it often carries significant reputational and travel implications for the individual concerned.
Background
Mr. Ofori-Atta, who served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 until early 2024 under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had reportedly been the subject of investigations linked to his time in office. The circumstances surrounding the issuance of the Red Notice were tied to requests made through Ghana’s National Central Bureau to INTERPOL.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, on June 2, 2025, officially triggered a process for the issuance of an INTERPOL red notice, potentially subjecting former Ken Ofori-Atta to international arrest and extradition.
The move, announced at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, June 2, followed Mr Ofori-Atta’s failure to honour multiple invitations from the Office of the Special Prosecutor for questioning in relation to ongoing corruption investigations.
The deletion of the Red Notice means that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s details will no longer appear in INTERPOL’s database, and member countries will not act on the withdrawn alert.
