International crime fighting organization Interpol has officially placed Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Kenneth Yaw Ofori-Atta, on its Red Notice list. The development confirms an international request has been made for his provisional arrest and possible extradition.
The notice comes on the back of Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) request for international assistance in locating and provisionally arresting Ofori-Atta, who is in the United States receiving medical treatment.
The Notice has for the first time disclosed a charge against Mr. Ofori-Atta albeit provisional from the OSP
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The Red Notice describes Ofori-Atta as a 65-year-old Ghanaian male, born on November 7, 1959, in Accra, with black hair and eyes, standing at 1.7 meters tall, and fluent in English and Twi. He is wanted on charges of “Using Public Office for Profit.”
An Interpol Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant but serves as a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. The issuance of this notice means that member countries, including the United States, are alerted to Ofori-Atta’s wanted status and may take appropriate legal action in accordance with their national laws.
The intervention of Interpol is not in isolation but follows a series of exchanges in which Mr. Ofori-Atta failed to appear before the OSP despite multiple invitations related to corruption investigations, including the National Cathedral project and a revenue assurance deal with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML). After initially being declared a fugitive in February 2025, his status was temporarily lifted following the intervention of his lawyers and minority leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin which resulted in an assurance of his return in May.
The OSP subsequently settled on June 2 deadline for the former Finance Minister’s appearance.
However, his failure to appear on the said date, led to his re-declaration as wanted, reinstatement of his fugitive status and the subsequent Interpol notice. Prior to that, Mr. Ofori-Atta had reportedly requested to attend proceedings virtually, citing ongoing medical treatment abroad. This request was however turned down by the OSP questioning its basis.