Court Case Update: Republic v. Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta & 7 Others

Prosecution indicated that efforts to serve both accused persons in the United States remain ongoing through Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) processes. It further disclosed that the United States Department of Justice had requested additional information, which has since been supplied.

Counsel for A7(Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited) and A8 ( (SML) -Kwame Gyan, supported by other defence counsel, submitted that there remains no clear timeline for completing the service and extradition processes.

They emphasised that the remaining accused persons (A3–A8) have consistently complied with court attendance and reporting obligations to the Office of the Special Prosecutor. On that basis, they argued that continued monthly appearances impose an undue burden and urged the Court to discharge A3–A8 to allow the Prosecution time to complete processes relating to Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta and Ernest Darko Akore.

Counsel for A4 (Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, former Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority) also supported the application, citing practice directions that seek to minimise the cost burden of criminal proceedings on accused persons. He urged the Court either to discharge the affected accused persons or to extend the reporting intervals.

The Prosecution opposed the request for discharge, maintaining that it is ready to prosecute the case and prefers an adjournment.

In its ruling, the Court held that the delay in prosecution is not attributable to any lack of diligence on the part of the Prosecution. It acknowledged ongoing steps taken to serve Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta and Ernest Darko Akore and emphasised that the decision to proceed against them lies solely with the Prosecution. The Court further held that it is fair to allow time for the service processes to be completed.

The case was adjourned to 23 April 2026 for further proceedings.