INTERPOL REMOVES KEN OFORI-ATTA FROM RED NOTICE AFTER OSP FORMALLY CHARGES HIM
The global police body's decision follows the former Finance Minister being charged with 78 corruption-related offences by Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor, shifting the legal battle to the courts and potential extradition proceedings.
INTERPOL has removed former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from its Red Notice list. This action comes shortly after Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) formally charged Ofori-Atta with 78 counts of corruption and related offenses on November 18, 2025.
The Red Notice, which serves as an international alert to locate and provisionally arrest an individual, had been issued after Ofori-Atta repeatedly failed to honor summonses from the OSP. The investigations relate to the National Cathedral project and revenue assurance contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).
His legal team had contested the notice, arguing it was politically motivated and that the underlying matters were administrative, not criminal, at the time it was issued. A key requirement for a valid Red Notice is that the individual must already face formal charges in a court of competent jurisdiction.
With the OSP’s filing of the 78 charges at the High Court in Accra, that condition has now been met, leading to INTERPOL’s prompt removal of the notice from its system.
The case, now listed as *CR/0106/2026* before the High Court, also includes seven other accused individuals and SML itself. The charges involve conspiracy to influence the procurement process to secure an unfair advantage.
While the Red Notice is no longer in effect, the legal battle is far from over. The OSP has signaled its intention to initiate extradition proceedings to bring Ofori-Atta, who is reportedly receiving medical treatment in the United States, back to Ghana to face the charges.
Source:NKONKONSA.com
