Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s former finance minister, was placed on Interpol’s Red Notice due to allegations of corruption

Ofori-Atta, the former finance minister of Ghana, has been placed on Interpol’s Red Notice list due to allegations of misusing her position.

Ghanaian prosecutors have named former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta a wanted person and fugitive for alleged corruption and abuse of office, and he has been added to Interpol’s Red Notice list. 

He was accused of using his official position for personal benefit while in government from January 2017 to February 2024, which led to the move.

International law enforcement authorities are notified by the Red Notice to find and hold him until extradition, even though it is not an arrest warrant. Despite having previously stated he was receiving illegal therapy, Ofori-Atta has not publicly addressed the recent events and is reportedly receiving medical care abroad.

Among the accusations made against the 65-year-old are allegations of financial loss to the state and procurement process violations, namely in relation to the contentious national cathedral project. Even with an apparent government investment of $58 million, the facility is still only a foundation.

Ofori-Atta asked the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to take his name off the wanted list earlier in February and promised to return to Ghana by May. He filed a complaint in March, contesting the legitimacy of the OSP’s treatment and demanding that related content be taken down from its social media sites after his identity was temporarily removed.

He was classed as a fugitive by OSP head Kissi Agyebeng, who formally requested Interpol’s help after he failed to appear before an investigating panel this month. “We insist that he be physically present here,” Agyebeng said. “The way the investigative body conducts its investigations is not something that a suspect in a criminal investigation chooses.”

In the December 2024 elections, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which the former minister was a member of, lost power. “Operation Recover All Loot,” a broad anti-corruption drive started by President John Mahama when he came to government in January 2025, has reportedly received over 200 complaints involving more than $20 billion in supposedly recoverable state funds.

In addition to receiving accolades for its efforts to combat corruption, Mahama’s administration has come under fire for reportedly dropping charges implicating his political cronies. The president has, however, declared that Ghana “will no longer be a safe haven for corruption.”