Ofori-Atta’s extradition awaits substantive legal case – Ayine 

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, says his office cannot begin formal extradition proceedings against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta until a substantive legal case has been built.

Addressing journalists at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Dr. Ayine explained that under United States law, extradition requests must be backed by detailed evidence and officially filed charges before they can be processed.

He noted that the Attorney-General’s Department is still waiting for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to submit the necessary case docket.

“Without the docket, we cannot make a request, so we’re still waiting for the docket,” he said. “I have read everything said by the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, and his office. I respect his office and the autonomy of the office. But we in the Attorney-General’s Department cannot begin an extradition request with a letter. We need the evidence to do so. So, the formal processes have started.”

The Attorney-General dismissed reports of a rift between his office and the OSP, emphasizing that both institutions are working within their legal mandates to ensure due process.

The matter dates back to January 2025, when the OSP identified Mr. Ofori-Atta as a person of interest in corruption-related investigations, including alleged irregularities involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), expenditure on the National Cathedral project, and tax refund operations.

In February 2025, Mr. Ofori-Atta’s lawyers submitted medical documents indicating he was undergoing treatment abroad. However, after he failed to appear for questioning on June 2, 2025, the OSP declared him a fugitive from justice and began steps to issue an Interpol Red Notice to facilitate his extradition.

Mr. Ofori-Atta later filed a lawsuit against the OSP, describing the declaration as unlawful and seeking compensation as well as the removal of related publications from the OSP’s social media pages.

Dr. Ayine reiterated that extradition proceedings will commence only when a substantive case, supported by evidence from the OSP, is ready for submission under international legal procedures.