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Interpol permanently withdraws Ofori Atta from Most Wanted list

The INTERPOL has deleted the Red Notice issued for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta following a review of Ghana’s request.

In a press release dated February 13, 2026, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) confirmed it had received a decision from INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of Files concerning the Red Notice for Mr. Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta.

According to the OSP, “The Commission directed the deletion of the notice under INTERPOL’s rules on political neutrality and notice processing,” citing “polarized political statements from members of current and former administrations about the conduct of the investigation,” as well as public controversy surrounding prosecutorial and extradition processes.

The statement further explained that the Commission observed subsequent developments had made the notice unnecessary.

It noted that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s location was known, cooperation with U.S. authorities was ongoing, and extradition processes had already been initiated following his arrest in the United States on January 6, 2026.

“It further observed that subsequent developments made the notice unnecessary,” the OSP said, adding that summons issued by the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra have been transmitted for service in the United States, requiring his appearance to answer multiple criminal charges.

The OSP emphasized that efforts to secure his return to Ghana remain active “through established legal and diplomatic channels,” stressing that it “remains guided solely by law and evidence and is committed to due process and the fair, lawful, and impartial prosecution of corruption and corruption-related offences.”

Mr. Ofori-Atta was first placed on an INTERPOL Red Notice on June 5, 2025, at the request of the OSP after he failed to appear for questioning over alleged corruption during his tenure as Finance Minister.

A Red Notice is an international request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition.

With the deletion of the notice, Mr. Ofori-Atta’s name is no longer listed under INTERPOL’s most wanted alerts, although domestic legal proceedings in Ghana remain ongoing.