The Attorney General’s Department says it is yet to receive the investigative docket on former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), a crucial step required to initiate an extradition process from the United States.
According to the Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, his office has made multiple formal requests to the OSP over the past two months, seeking the full docket on Mr. Ofori-Atta, who was declared a fugitive from justice by the OSP in February 2025 for alleged involvement in corruption-related offenses.
In a yet-to-be-aired interview on State of Affairs, Dr. Srem Sai revealed that despite several written letters and follow-ups, the docket has not been handed over to the Attorney General’s Department.
“We are the only authority that can make an extradition request,” Dr. Srem Sai explained. “But to do that, we need the OSP’s investigative docket. As of today, we still do not have it. Without the docket, we cannot proceed to request Mr. Ofori-Atta’s extradition from the U.S.”
He added that although the OSP has placed the former minister on an Interpol Red Alert, which serves as a global notice declaring him wanted, that action alone is not an extradition procedure.
“The Interpol alert simply notifies the world that a person is wanted. For extradition, however, we must present a full docket with evidence to the U.S. authorities, who will then process the request,” Dr. Srem Sai noted.
The OSP, in its recent update on ongoing cases, confirmed that investigations involving the former Finance Minister remain active. However, the apparent communication gap between the OSP and the Attorney General’s Department has delayed the next phase of legal action.
Under Ghanaian law, the Attorney General’s Department is the sole authority empowered to initiate extradition proceedings with foreign jurisdictions. Legal experts warn that without proper coordination between the two agencies, the process to repatriate Mr. Ofori-Atta could face further setbacks.
The former minister, currently believed to be residing in the United States, is under investigation for alleged corruption and abuse of office during his tenure at the Ministry of Finance.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
