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Ken Ofori-Atta Trial: The 5 Claims The Special Prosecutor Must Prove To Convict The Former Minister
Ghana

Ken Ofori-Atta Trial: The 5 Claims The Special Prosecutor Must Prove To Convict The Former Minister

by  Delali Adogla-Bessa
3 min read
  • The Office of Special Prosecutor has laid out a five-point roadmap in the high-profile corruption case against Kenneth Ofori-Atta and others
  • Ofori-Atta is facing charges in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, alongside former Ghana Revenue Authority officials
  • The former finance minister is currently in the US under detention by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

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The Office of the Special Prosecutor has outlined a roadmap to secure convictions against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and seven others in the high-profile corruption case involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).

Ken Ofori-Atta, Special Prosecutor, Corruption, SML scandal, GRA
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has a roadmap to secure convictions against former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta. Credit: Office of the Special Prosecutor
Source: Facebook

According to the Office of the Special Prosecutor's Half Yearly Report for July to December 2025, the prosecution aims to demonstrate that the accused persons operated a "criminal enterprise" which caused an "immense financial loss to the Republic of about ₵1,436,249,828.53."

The case, numbered *CR/0106/2026 The Republic v. Kenneth Ofori-Atta & 7 Others*, involves 78 charges.

The accused include former Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) commissioners-general, a former customs commissioner, and the CEO of SML.

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The five allegations the case rests on are:

  1. Proving that the accused conspired to set up and did perform acts in furtherance of the conspiracy to set up a criminal enterprise of directly and indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain unfair advantage for SML.
  2. Proving that "egregious prohibited acts" were committed, as prior approvals by Parliament, and the Board of Public Procurement Authority were disregarded
  3. Proving that the accused officials ensured that there was no established financial management system of monitoring and verification for the contracts.
  4. Proving that the actions of the accused created the opportunity for the private company to largely pretend to perform the services under the various contracts leading to the alleged GH₵1.4 billion loss.
  5. Proving that the accused based their actions on their false claims that the private company possessed technical expertise and capability in revenue assurance.

Ofori-Atta and his former Chef de Cabinet, Ernest Darko Akore, are currently fugitives in the US.

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There is an extradition request pending for their return to Ghana.

A Fourth Estate investigation first questioned the impact of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, leading the firm to admit that it was not performing the advertised services that claimed to tackle under-reporting, diversion and dilution.

The investigation also questioned malfeasance in the procurement process to award Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited the contract.

Ofori-Atta's struggles in the US

ICE described Ofori-Atta as an illegal alien who overstayed his visa after his arrest on January 7.

The Special Prosecutor was leading efforts to extradite him from the US, as he is being investigated for alleged corruption in five different cases.

Ken Ofori-Atta, Special Prosecutor, Corruption, SML scandal, GRA
Ken Ofori-Atta is currently in the US under detention by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gem Atkinson/Simon Dawson
Source: Getty Images

Ofori-Atta could remain in ICE custody for over three months after being denied bail during his first hearing on January 20, with the judge in the case asking for evidence of extradition attempts by the Ghana government by February 19. The case itself has been adjourned to April 27.

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The bail request by Ofori-Atta's legal team was contested during the hearing because a state attorney in the US cited the extradition request that Ghana had submitted.

Ofori-Atta declined to meet with Ghana's consular officers in the US without his lawyers when his detention became public, according to an embassy statement on Facebook.

US addresses Ofori-Atta and Tamakloe extradition efforts

YEN.com.gh reported that the US government had stated that it would not interfere in the efforts to extradite Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.

According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, this also influenced the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.

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