Ken Ofori-Atta's US Lawyer Speaks: "Case Against My Client is Politically Motivated"
- Enayat Qasimi, the US-based lawyer for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has spoken out about the charges against his client
- In an interview with the BBC, Qasimi claimed the case involving the GRA and SML is politically motivated
- Qasimi added that Ofori-Atta is committed to complying with Ghanaian law and defending his actions as Finance Minister, despite being denied his legal rights
Enayat Qasimi, the US-based lawyer representing Ghana's former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has broken his silence on his client's case with the Republic of Ghana.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Enayat Qasimi claimed that the case involving the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), initiated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) against the former Finance Minister, is "politically motivated."
Source: UGC
Despite this, he said that Ken Ofori-Atta is committed to abiding by the laws of Ghana and accounting for his stewardship as the former Finance Minister.
"He is committed to fully complying with the laws of Ghana and is fully committed to answering for anything he did when he was Finance Minister. There's absolutely no question about that. The question is, is he being given the rights guaranteed to him under Ghanaian law? He is not. He never has been," Qasimi said.
According to the US-based lawyer, the Ghanaian authorities were aware that the former Finance Minister was in the United States and that the issuance of the Interpol Red Alert was unnecessary.
"The authorities knew all along that Ken Ofori-Atta was receiving treatment in the US. There was no purpose in issuing the Red Notice, but they went ahead and issued it," he said in an interview with the BBC.
Enayat Qasimi's interview with the BBC comes after the Attorney General disclosed that Ken Ofori-Atta has hired top lawyers in the US to fight his extradition to Ghana.
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More about OSP's case against SML
At a press conference in October 2025, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng stated that contracts awarded to SML were unlawful and influenced by personal gain.
He said that evidence gathered by his office pointed to criminal conduct by some officials during the negotiation, approval, and implementation of the contracts.
The OSP established that the contracts awarded to SML lacked genuine justification and were approved in clear violation of statutory procedures.
The probe further found that payments were made without adequate verification of work done, leading to significant financial losses to the state.
The Special Prosecutor noted that several key officials exploited their positions for self-serving interests, sidestepping due process in procurement and weakening accountability mechanisms within the authority and the Ministry of Finance.
OSP files charges against Ofori-Atta and others
In November 2025, the OSP filed 78 corruption-related charges against Ofori-Atta and five others in relation to the revenue assurance contracts between the GRA and SML.
The other accused persons facing charges are current and former Commissioner-Generals of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Emmanuel Kofi Nti, GRA officials Isaac Crentsil, Kwadwo Damoa, and Ernest Akore, a former Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Finance.
The charges include conspiracy to commit the criminal offence of directly or indirectly influencing the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract.
Source: Facebook
AG submits Ofori-Atta's extradition request
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that the Minister for Justice and Attorney Generad had announced that Ghana has officially submitted a request for the extradition of Ken Ofori-Atta and his alleged accomplice, Ernest Darko Kore, from the United States.
According to him, the request was made to facilitate the return of the two individuals to Ghana to face the 78 corruption-related charges filed against them by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Dr Ayine said the OSP began the process on November 19, 2025, when it submitted a request for the extradition proceedings against the former Finance Minister and his alleged accomplice.
Source: YEN.com.gh
