Akufo-Addo denies attempting to speak with Mahama over Ofori-Atta’s extradition

The Office of the Former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has strongly denied media reports suggesting that he is seeking an audience with President John Dramani Mahama to secure assurances over the extradition or safe passage of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

In a rejoinder dated December 16, 2025, and issued under the official letterhead of the Office of the Former President, the office described the publication, originally carried by the Herald newspaper and subsequently repeated by other media outlets, as “utterly false” and a “total fabrication.”

According to the statement, the attention of the Office was drawn to claims alleging that Nana Akufo-Addo was “considering approaching President John Dramani Mahama to seek assurances of the safe passage for Ofori-Atta.” The Office categorically rejected the claim, stating that the former President has neither contemplated such a move nor made, directly or indirectly, any request, representation or appeal to President Mahama, his agents, or assigns.

“The Office wishes to state emphatically that this publication is utterly false. It is a total fabrication by the supposed source,” the rejoinder stressed.

The statement further underscored Nana Akufo-Addo’s long-standing commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law, noting that his fidelity to constitutional governance has never been in question.

While acknowledging that the fate of Mr. Ofori-Atta is naturally of concern to the former President—given their familial relationship and the fact that Mr. Ofori-Atta served as Finance Minister throughout Akufo-Addo’s tenure—the Office made it clear that such concern does not translate into any attempt to interfere with due legal processes.

“It is true that the fate of Mr. Ofori Atta is of considerable concern to the Former President because, after all, apart from Mr. Ofori Atta being his cousin, more importantly, he was the Minister for Finance in both the governments of his mandate. But that concern does not extend to wanting to interfere with the rule of law,” the statement said.

The Office said it hoped the rejoinder would set the record straight and demanded that media houses that carried the alleged falsehood reproduce the response in line with the former President’s rights.

Interpol issued the Red Notice on June 5, 2025, after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) applied for him to be placed there as a wanted man who used public office for profit.

On June 9, 2025, the family of Mr Ofori Atta submitted a petition to the Commission for the Control of Files of Interpol seeking the removal of the alert.

The Commission reviews challenges to Red Notices and has the authority to direct the deletion of data that does not meet Interpol rules.

Interpol rules require that Red Notices be supported by valid legal proceedings in the requesting country. Article 83 of the Rules on the Processing of Data states that an alert must rest on an arrest warrant or a court decision.

Article 2 of Interpol’s Constitution bars the organisation from dealing with matters that carry political, military, religious or racial character.

On November 18, 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor filed 78 criminal charges against Mr Ofori Atta and seven others in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited procurement case.

On November 19, 2025, the Office of the Special Prosecutor released a public notice stating that proceedings before the Commission for the Control of Files are still pending.

The notice added that on November 7, 2025, the Commission informed Ghanaian authorities that Mr Ofori Atta had filed additional arguments and directed Ghana to respond by November 21, 2025.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor advised the public to disregard reports suggesting that the matter had been concluded.

The notice said such reports were based on misinformation.

These include petroleum revenue assurance contracts with Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited, procurement of 307 ambulances, the National Cathedral project, which used 58 million dollars, contract terminations within the electricity sector, and management of the GRA Tax P-Fund.

The 78 charges filed relate to the SML procurement matter and cover alleged irregular processes in awarding contracts for downstream petroleum revenue assurance.

An Interpol Red Notice is a request to police agencies across the world to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or related action.

Member countries decide individually whether to act on such alerts.

With the removal of the Red Notice from Interpol’s public database, Mr Ofori Atta no longer faces the risk of provisional arrest within its 196 member states.

He still faces 78 criminal charges in Ghana.