OSP Receives Backlash for Removing Ken Ofori-Atta from Wanted List

The decision by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to remove former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from the wanted list has sparked outrage among a section of the public.

The OSP, in a statement on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, announced that Ken Ofori-Atta, through his lawyers, had given a definite date to appear in person for questioning, thus removing his name from the list of wanted persons.

Many critics have accused the OSP of double standards, especially when compared to the treatment of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials under previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administrations.

Critics argue that while past NDC officials accused of similar offences faced swift legal action and harsh consequences, Ofori-Atta appears to have been shielded from prosecution.

One of the strongest dissenting voices is lawyer Kwabla Senanu, who represented former Deputy Finance Ministers Victor Selormey and Dan Abodakpi, both prosecuted under President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.

In a Facebook post, Senanu described the harsh treatment his clients endured, particularly Victor Selormey, who was denied urgent medical care despite severe health complications.

Midway through his trial at the Fast Track High Court, Selormey sought permission to travel to the U.S. to replace a failing heart pacemaker. The court referred the request to renowned cardiologist Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, an NPP figure at the time, who rejected it, questioning why the initial procedure was done abroad.

Despite evidence of severe pain and internal bleeding, Selormey was denied medical leave and later died in custody—a decision Senanu calls a “political vendetta” by the Kufuor administration.

Senanu’s comments have reignited concerns over fairness in Ghana’s judicial system, with many questioning why officials from President Akufo-Addo’s government appear to be treated more leniently.

Adding to the debate, lawyer Godwin Kudzo Edudzi Tamaklo, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, also cited the case of his former client, William Matthew Tetteh Tevie. Despite being on dialysis for nearly two decades, Tevie was convicted and jailed in connection with the $4 million National Communications Authority (NCA) Pegasus acquisition scandal.

Other prominent NDC figures, including Tsatsu Tsikata and Kwame Peprah, have faced similar legal battles, fuelling ongoing allegations of political bias in Ghana’s justice system.

Meanwhile, the OSP’s decision follows a letter from Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta’s lawyers on February 18, 2025, that indicates their client’s willingness to return to the jurisdiction voluntarily in May.

The letter provided a definite date for his voluntary return, reversing his earlier stance of remaining abroad indefinitely.

The OSP accepted his request, rescheduled his appearance, and removed him from the wanted list, pending his return.

However, if Ofori-Atta fails to return as promised, he will be reinstated as a fugitive, and the OSP will take legal steps to ensure his return.

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