Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has defended his tenure at the Finance Ministry, insisting that he always acted in Ghana’s best interest.
In his first public reaction to his legal standoff with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Mr. Ofori-Atta addressed the matter in an open letter dated February 26.
“As you know, I have worked with candor and forthrightness in my personal and professional life these past forty years,” he stated.
“As the longest-serving Finance Minister in this Republic (2017 to 2024) and encountering the most far-reaching existential crises in our lifetime, I have always acted in the best interests of Ghana and Africa, and will continue to do so.”
He expressed frustration over recent developments with the OSP, describing the situation as both perplexing and distressing, and emphasized the need to set the record straight.
His response follows an OSP-issued wanted notice against him, which was later revoked. The investigation focused on several financial transactions, including the Strategic Mobilisation-GRA Contract, ECG-BXC contract termination, payments related to the National Cathedral, ambulance procurement, and the use of the Tax Refund Account.
Amid growing public scrutiny, the OSP confirmed that Mr. Ofori-Atta had formally communicated his intention to return voluntarily. Consequently, his name was removed from the wanted list, though authorities warned that failure to return as scheduled would prompt further legal action.
Reflecting on the unfolding events, Mr. Ofori-Atta expressed his confusion and dismay.
“I have been in the news recently in quite a dramatic manner. I thought it important that I share with you the facts surrounding recent events and news articles concerning me and Ghana’s Special Prosecutor. I am as puzzled and dismayed, as I suspect you must be.”
Providing further details, he recounted that he was abroad for medical reasons when the Special Prosecutor summoned him for an in-person meeting.
“I was out of the country on January 24, for medical reasons, when the Special Prosecutor invited me to an in-person meeting for Feb 10, 2025, in connection with four ‘corruption and corruption-related cases.’ I was not the originating nor implementing Minister in any of these portfolios. I immediately responded through my lawyers, indicating my willingness to have them provide him with any information he may require to aid in his investigation, given that I will be out of the country for the next few months for medical reasons.”
However, his offer to engage through legal representatives was rejected.
“The Special Prosecutor rejected the offer to meet with my lawyers, insisting on a firm date for my personal attendance. Instead, on February 11, my home was raided by armed National Security operatives. The Special Prosecutor remarked that I had staged the raid on my own home and, subsequently, launched an international campaign and declared that I was a wanted ‘fugitive from justice.'”
