The Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande has addressed the controversy regarding the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s declaration of former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta as a wanted fugitive.
In an interview with JoyNews on Monday, February 17, 2025, Gbande defended the OSP’s declaration, emphasising that the state would utilize all necessary measures and resources to ensure Ken Ofori-Atta‘s extradition for investigation if he fails to honor the OSP’s invitation.
He stated that, in the event of any unforeseen circumstances, the state will ensure that prosecution takes place and that a thorough investigation is conducted to determine the accuracy of the claims regarding his involvement in corruption-related activities, including those related to the National Cathedral project.
“Should Ken Ofori-Atta refuse to come, every measure will be deployed to bring him down to this country. If for any reason, he passes on, his dead body will be prosecuted and jailed and every stolen money belonging to the people of Ghana will be retrieved,” he said.
Gbande, who also serves as the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), stated that the party cannot afford to disappoint Ghanaians, as they campaigned on the promise of prosecuting corrupt appointees and recovering all looted state assets.
However, he dismissed assertions that the government was pursuing a witch-hunting agenda against certain individuals from the previous administration.
“It is not just an agenda of government, but a mandate. We went to campaign to retrieve monies stolen from us and Ken Ofori-Atta is one of them.”
On February 12, 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) declared former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta a suspect in four major corruption investigations, including cases related to the National Cathedral project, Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML), and two other matters.
During a press briefing on the same day, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced that Ofori-Atta is now considered a wanted individual and must return to Ghana immediately to face questioning.
His actions have been hailed as a significant boost to the fight against corruption resonating with the resetting agenda of the government.
