Ghana’s former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been declared a fugitive from justice after failing to appear for questioning over alleged corruption during his tenure, the country’s special prosecutor announced.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng told journalists that Ofori-Atta, 66, left Ghana in early January and has shown no intention of “willingly” returning to face investigators. The former minister’s lawyers claim he is abroad for medical treatment.
At the centre of the allegations is a controversial national cathedral project, which allegedly consumed $58 million (£46.6 million) in government funds but remains unfinished. The project is among several cases being investigated for potential financial losses to the state.
“He is a fugitive from justice,” Agyabeng declared at a press conference after Ofori-Atta failed to attend a scheduled interview with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The development comes amid a broader anti-corruption drive by newly inaugurated President John Mahama, whose “Operation Recover All Loot” committee has received over 200 complaints totalling more than $20bn in potentially recoverable funds.
Ofori-Atta, who served as finance minister from January 2017 until February 2024 under the previous New Patriotic Party government, has not responded to the allegations. His tenure ended when the NPP lost December’s election to Mahama’s National Democratic Congress.
Newly elected president Mahama has directed the attorney general to investigate all corruption allegations, stating Ghana will no longer be a “safe haven for corruption”.
