OSP insists on due process after INTERPOL deletes Red Notice on Ken Ofori-Atta

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says its actions remain guided strictly by law and evidence following the deletion of a Red Notice issued against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

In a press statement dated February 13, 2026, the anti-corruption agency reaffirmed its commitment to due process and the fair, lawful and impartial prosecution of corruption and related offences.

The development follows a decision by INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) to permanently delete the Red Notice issued at Ghana’s request.

According to counsel for Mr. Ofori-Atta, the commission determined during its 135th session on February 4, 2026, that the notice appeared to be of a predominantly political character and therefore did not comply with INTERPOL’s regulations.

Responding to the decision, the OSP confirmed it had received the CCF’s ruling and acknowledged that the deletion was based on INTERPOL’s rules on political neutrality and notice processing.

The commission cited contextual factors at the time the notice was issued, including what it described as polarised political commentary from both current and former government officials regarding the investigation. It also referenced public controversy surrounding the prosecutorial and extradition processes.

The CCF further noted that later developments made the Red Notice unnecessary, stating that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s location was known, cooperation with United States authorities was ongoing, and extradition processes had already been initiated following his arrest in the United States on January 6, 2026.

The OSP disclosed that a summons issued by the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra has been transmitted to the United States for service, requiring Mr. Ofori-Atta to appear and respond to multiple criminal charges.

The agency added that efforts to secure his appearance in court are continuing through established legal and diplomatic channels.

Mr. Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from 2017 until early 2024, has been under investigation over alleged corruption-related matters connected to his tenure.

The deletion of the Red Notice means his details will no longer appear in INTERPOL’s database, and member countries will not act on the withdrawn alert, although legal processes in Ghana and abroad remain ongoing.