Ken Ofori-Atta Declared Wanted By Special Prosecutor Over Corruption In National Cathedral, Others

• The Office of the Special Prosecutor has declared former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta a wanted person
• Ofori-Atta has been linked to multiple corruption cases, including the Strategic Mobilisation Limited scandal
• The former minister is wanted on the grounds of allegedly causing financial loss to the state in some dealings

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has declared former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta a suspect in high-profile corruption investigations.

The cases include the National Cathedral project, the Strategic Mobilisation Limited scandal, a deal between the Electricity Company of Ghana and Beijing Technology Limited, the procurement of ambulances and payments made from and the utilisation of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s tax refund account.

Speaking at a press briefing on February 12, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng said Ofori-Atta is now a wanted person and must return to Ghana. The former minister is wanted on the grounds of causing financial loss to the state in several dealings.

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In the Strategic Mobilisation Limited scandal, for example, a Fourth Estate investigation questioned the impact of the company, which is being accused of doing no work despite a 10-year $100 million contract.

In January 2024, President Akufo-Addo commissioned KPMG to investigate the contract following an exposé by the Fourth Estate.

The audit findings prompted the need to review the revenue assurance contract, highlighting areas for improvement to enhance its effectiveness.

Following the audit, the Ghana Revenue Authority terminated two contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Limited.

Response to raid on Ofori-Atta's home

The special prosecutor also dismissed claims that his office was behind the raid on Ofori-Atta’s residence on Tuesday, February 11.

The Herald reported that the Office of the Special Prosecutor conducted the raid.

However, Agyebeng responded by saying either the raid was staged by the former minister himself or the raid was carried out by an imposter.

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Alleged corruption at National Petroleum Authority

The Office of the Special Prosecutor is also probing alleged embezzlement of GH¢1.3 billion from the National Petroleum Authority.

Agyebeng said the suspected corruption was linked to funds reportedly misappropriated from the Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund, which is a mechanism designed to stabilise petroleum prices across the country.

The investigation is primarily targeting four individuals, including Jacob Amoah, who is the Coordinator of the UPPF, Wendy Ashong Newman, Freda Tandoh, and the former National Petroleum Authority CEO Mustapha Abdul-Hamid.

Abdul-Hamid reacted to the update saying he was ready to cooperate with the special prosecutor.

"As at this afternoon, I have neither received any invitation by any State investigative body nor have I been under investigation for any such alleged crime," he noted.

ORAL identifies $21 billion in suspected looting

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YEN.com.gh also reported that Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) identified $21.19 billion in possible recoveries from corruption.

The committee, which was launched on December 18, 2024, handed over its report to President John Mahama on February 2, 2025.

ORAL chairman, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, believes investigations into 36 high-profile cases could yield up to $20.49 billion.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh