THE Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has urged a former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to avail himself for accountability if he’s confident he did nothing untoward whilst serving as Ghana’s exchequer.
Mr Ofosu said it was incumbent on all officers of the state, serving or past, to account for their stewardship if called upon. He added that government would leave no stone unturned to ensure that every public official accounted for their time in office.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency in Accra yesterday, Mr Ofosu, MP for Abura Asebu Kwamankese, said it was in the interest of the beleaguered former minister to return home and answer lingering questions being asked of him.
“Like all public officials, we are subject to scrutiny. Whether you are in government or not, once you have served in public office, you must be open to scrutiny and accountability. There are many public officials, including some who served under President Mahama in his first term, who were subjected to judicial processes,” he recounted.
“I see no reason why he should seek to evade accountability. If Ken Ofori-Atta is confident that he has done nothing untoward, he should avail himself to the appropriate authorities to carry out their investigations,” he added.
Mr Ofosu said government was taking keen interest in the January 20 court hearing and appropriate steps would be taken thereafter in pursuit of Mr Ofori-Atta’s return to Ghana.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has meanwhile, given the assurance that Mr Ofori-Atta would be given a fair trial as stipulated in the provisions of the 1992 constitution if he came back voluntarily or was extradited.
“This is his home. He should just join the next available flight and come home. Under my watch, he’ll not be treated unfairly. He’ll be taken through due process and be prosecuted just like any other person,” Dr Ayine said. He gave this assurance on December 18, 2025, during his turn at the Government Accountability Series in Accra.
Mr Ofori-Atta, who has been in the US since January 2025, has been a person of interest of the Office of the Special Prosecutor for corruption and corruption-related offences in relation to the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited deal and 77 other counts.
He has since been detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the USA following the revocation of his visa and is set to appear before an immigration judge on January 20, 2026. According to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Mr Ofori-Atta’s visa was revoked at the request of the Ghanaian government.
Back home in Ghana, Mr Ofori-Atta has been charged alongside five others — Emmanuel Kofi Nti and Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, both former Commissioner-Generals of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The others are Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoah — former Commissioners of the Customs Division of the GRA, Ernest Darko Akore — an aide to Ofori-Atta, and Evans Adusei — the Chief Executive Officer of SML.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
🌍 Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
✅ Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
