Interpol red notice issued for Ghana’s former finance minister

Ken Ofori-Atta skipped prosecutor summons over several corruption claims, including multimillion-dollar cathedral project.

Ghana’s former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been placed on Interpol’s red notice list after allegedly using public office for personal gain.

Ofori-Atta, whose location remains unclear as he reportedly seeks medical treatment, is being investigated over a string of high-profile contracts relating to petroleum revenues, electricity supply and ambulance procurement.

He is also under investigation over a controversial national cathedral project that swallowed tens of millions of dollars in public money yet remains little more than a hole in the ground.

The red notice – a request to police worldwide to detain a suspect pending extradition – was issued four days after Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) re-declared the 65-year-old a wanted person after he failed to appear for a scheduled interrogation.

The OSP insists Ofori-Atta must appear in person, rejecting requests from his legal team for a virtual session on medical grounds.

The prosecutor’s notice, published by the state-run Ghana News Agency on Monday, stated a number of possible locations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Guyana, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands.

“We will not countenance this conduct, not in this case,” Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng told local media on Monday.

Frank Davies, a member of Ofori-Atta’s legal team, was cited by the news agency AFP as saying medical records had been submitted “in good faith”, but that “the office has chosen to ignore them”.

“The special prosecutor is not being sensitive to the issues at hand, especially knowing that Mr Ofori-Atta is unwell and receiving treatment,” said Davies on Friday.

The new administration of President John Mahama has been on the heels of former government appointees to account for their tenure in office.

The attorney general is currently building 33 cases of corruption and related offences against former government appointees.

Ofori-Atta served as former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s finance minister for seven years.

Source:

Al Jazeera and news agencies