Former Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been declared a fugitive by Ghana’s Special Prosecutor on Wednesday. He is suspected of causing significant financial losses to the state by conducting large-scale transactions deemed suspicious using public funds.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng issued a stern warning: "You have two options: return voluntarily to face justice or be forcibly brought back by the OSP."
One of the major accusations against Ken Ofori-Atta concerns the controversial National Cathedral project, initiated by former President Nana Akufo-Addo. The project was initially supposed to be fully funded by private sources. However, revelations have surfaced that $58 million from public funds were used, sparking outrage among the population.
Ken Ofori-Atta is notably accused of authorizing the disbursement of $11.8 million at the request of the former president’s chief of staff. Despite these allocated funds, construction on the cathedral has been halted for two years. Kissi Agyebeng emphasized that "the former minister lacked due diligence in supervising expenses before approving these payments."
Another case involving the former minister is the 2019 contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Ghana Ltd (SML), a company specializing in auditing the petroleum sector. More than $83 million is alleged to have been paid to SML under Ken Ofori-Atta’s supervision without prior approval from the Public Procurement Authority, as required by law.
These transactions are currently under thorough investigation. Kissi Agyebeng confirmed that legal proceedings have been initiated against Ken Ofori-Atta, who has shown no signs of cooperation in returning to Ghana to face justice.
