Why prosecutor declare former Ghana finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta wanted
Wia dis foto come from, MINISTRY OF FINANCE/FACEBOOK
Di Office of di Special Prosecutor (OSP) for Ghana don declare di kontri ex-finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta wanted for corruption for di role im play in multiple goment contracts from 2017 to 2024.
Special prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng say di former minister allegedly dey involved for many ogbonge deals under di former president Nana Akufo-Addo goment.
For one press conference, di prosecutor tok say, "We don declare Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta di former minister as fugitive ova some contracts like di PDS contract for di kontri electricity company, di procurement of contractors and materials and oda payment for di national cathedral project, contract by di ministry of health for 307 Mercedes Benz ambulances and contract by di Ghana revenue authority to SML for transaction audit."
Di 66 year-old na di former minister of state between 2017 and 2024.
Wia dis foto come from, OSP/FACEBOOK
Di prosecutor explain during di press conference say dem bin write to di former minister on 25 January say im be suspect for ogbonge cases wey dem dey investigate so make im appear bifor di prosecutor office on 10 February 2025, but im no come.
"Lawyers for di ex-finance minister bin write to di prosecutor on 31 January 2025 say im dey out of di kontri indefinitely on medical grounds, na so dem go tok di prosecutor when im return to di kontri to appear bifor di office; wia dem also dey available as lawyers to provide any information wey di OSP need."
Oga Kissi Agyeben tok say im office don respond to lawyers of di former minister say "we dey need di physical presence for di OSP to answer di questions sake of no be di lawyers dey under investigation, na di former minister imserf".
Di prosecutor office also bin reject one medical letter wey lawyers for di ex-minister bin send say im no dey feel well, wia im doctors say im no fit to return to di kontri anytime soon.
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"We don order Ken Ofori-Atta say make im give us reasonable date wen im go dey in di kontri and appear bifor di office of special prosecutor; wia we add say if im fail to dis tin, we go take evri legal step to ensure say im return to di kontri," Kissi Agyeben add.
Wia dis foto come from, MINISTRY OF FINANCE/FACEBOOK
On 11 February, local media bin report say some pipo wey wear military and police uniform bin storm di house of di former minister to search di house.
Na so di prosecutor Kissi Agyeben tok say lawyers for di former minister bin write letter to di office to ask if na dem storm di house.
"Di OSP no raid di house of di former minister on Tuesday 11 February or any oda day. We neva ask any pesin wey wear uniform to storm Kenneth Ofori-Atta im house; dat neva be our style. If di OSP don enta your house, you go sabi say na OSP, sake of we get our unique way to dey search houses, wia we also get identity logo we don dey carry."
Di prosecutor add say, "We don find say na pipo don stage di visit of di uniform pipo to di house of di ex-minister or at best wetin we call 'imposter action' to make di public tink say na we do am, and to scatter our investigations."
"Dis kain tins neva dey shake us, we still go kontinu our investigations by law."
Di special prosecutor add say, "We neva dey convinced say di letter wia di lawyers don send give us from di hospital be enough to prevent di former minister to return to di kontri and appear bifor di office. Dis na wetin di former minister don dey use as excuse so say im no go return to di kontri to face investigations."
Di OSP add say "di former minister get two choices – say im go return to di kontri by imsef or di OSP go force am to im return."
Wia dis foto come from, MINISTRY OF FINANCE/GHANA
Ghana bin dey under $3bn IMF programme, to deal with di kontris economic crisis.
During di tenure of di ex-finance minister, sabi pipo and di opposition party tok say im supervise di crisis.
Eighty lawmakers for im own party, di goment NPP in 2022 write petition to di president at di time, Nana Akufo-Addo, say make im sack di finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, wey be di president cousin from office, otherwise dem go be part of goment business for parliament.
For one press conference, di MPs tok say "di economy don spoil, na so if you no sack dis minister, we no go dey parliament wen di goment dey present di budget," leader of di caucus Andy Appiah Kubi tell journalists.
But di president at di time tok say im no go sack di minister, unless im finish dey negotiate di IMF deal for di kontri.
