Ofori-Atta Saga: Akufo-Addo Rubbishes Claim He is Seeking Mahama’s Intervention In Case
- Former president Akufo-Addo has responded to reports that he has tried to interfere in the case against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta
- Ofori-Atta is being investigated by the special prosecutor for five cases amid attempts to extradite him from the US
- The Office of the Special Prosecutor recently charged Ofori-Atta and seven others with 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences
The Office of the Former President Nana Akufo-Addo has dismissed reports that he is trying to court favour with President John Mahama for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Akufo-Addo's office called such speculation a “total fabrication”.
Source: Getty Images
In a rejoinder dated Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the office described the story, originally published by the Herald Newspaper, as “utterly false”.
The office stated that the former president has not considered such actions.
The denial comes amid continued public interest in the legal and political fate of Ofori-Atta, who served as finance minister under Akufo-Addo and was also his cousin.
“It is true that the fate of Mr. Ofori Atta is of considerable concern to the Former President because, after all, apart from Mr Ofori Atta being his cousin, more importantly, he was the Minister for Finance in both the governments of his mandate."
“But that concern does not extend to wanting to interfere with the rule of law. Hopefully, this sets the record straight on this matter."
The office has demanded that media outlets which carried the original story publish the rejoinder in full.
Ofori-Atta is being investigated by the special prosecutor for five cases and is the subject of an extradition controversy.
Timeline of Ofori-Atta's time as a suspect
On January 24, 2025, the Special Prosecutor formally notified Ofori-Atta that he was a suspect in the five cases and directed him to appear in person on February 10, 2025.
On January 31, 2025, the former minister's lawyers informed the special prosecutor that he would be outside Ghana indefinitely for medical reasons but offered to represent him in his absence.
On February 5, 2025, the Special Prosecutor rejected a claim of indefinite absence and demanded a reasonable return date by February 10, 2025. Agyebeng also warned of legal consequences for non-compliance and clarified that lawyers cannot answer criminal charges on behalf of their clients.
On February 10, 2025, Ofori-Atta's lawyers submitted a doctor’s note stating he was undergoing tests and possibly surgery in the US, with no clear return date. The special prosecutor received the letter with scepticism, describing the letter as purportedly coming from a doctor.
On February 12, 2025, the Special Prosecutor declared Ofori-Atta a fugitive from justice, acting on an arrest warrant.
Source: Getty Images
On February 18, 2025, Ofori-Atta appealed to the special prosecutor to remove his name from the wanted list and pledged to return to Ghana in May. The special prosecutor subsequently took his name off the list following the assurance.
Following this, Agyebeng gave a deadline of June 2, 2025, for Ofori-Atta to report in person to the Office of the Special Prosecutor headquarters or face being declared wanted again.
On March 16, 2025, Ofori-Atta sued the Office of the Special Prosecutor, seeking compensation for being declared wanted.
On May 28, 2025, the court adjourned Ofori-Atta's attempt to keep the special prosecutor from declaring him wanted. The case was adjourned to June 18.
On June 2, 2025, Ofori-Atta failed to appear before the special prosecutor and was subsequently declared wanted again.
On November 18, Ofori-Atta was formally charged by the special prosecutor in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana scandal.
The former minister is currently fighting to have an INTERPOL red notice removed.
In a statement on Facebook, the special prosecutor noted that the notice had been redacted from public view because of a challenge from Ofori-Atta being assessed.
In October 2025, the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files notified Ghanaian authorities that Ofori-Atta, who is currently in the US, had applied to have his name removed from the red notice.
About the corruption charges against Ofori-Atta
YEN.com.gh reported that the Office of the Special Prosecutor charged Ofori-Atta and seven others with 78 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences.
The charges are related to corruption in the revenue assurance contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
