The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has responded to criticism directed at his office regarding the delay in the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, attributing the issue to insufficient cooperation from state security agencies at the time of Ofori-Atta’s departure.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has been subjected to significant public criticism for its inability to stop the former minister from traveling to the United States while investigations into his tenure were ongoing.
In an interview, Mr. Agyebeng stated that his office was constrained due to the lack of direct control over Ghana’s exit points, including Kotoka International Airport.
The Special Prosecutor also highlighted the former minister’s influence, indicating that his familial connections to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo played a role in the absence of institutional cooperation.
“He departed between December 1 and 7. Who was in power during that period? We do not have control over the airports and exit gates. Yet, we are being criticized for allowing him to leave. His cousin was President, Nana Akufo-Addo. Let’s acknowledge the reality,” he emphasized.
Mr. Agyebeng elaborated that the OSP’s requests for assistance from other agencies were disregarded. He further remarked that the security arrangements during that time seemed to be counterproductive to his office’s efforts, hindering its ability to fulfill its mandate effectively.
“We were not receiving the cooperation of other security agencies when he departed for the States. We made requests that went unheeded. It felt as though there was a deliberate effort to exclude the OSP.
“That is the challenge we faced, and those were the conditions under which we were expected to operate. I believe I raised concerns about this. The security framework was established in a manner that obstructed the OSP from executing its duties.
“This is the predicament we encountered, and I am being questioned about how we allowed Ofori-Atta to escape. We did not observe him leaving. However, we were unable to stop him from departing the airport.
He stated that the operational environment of the OSP has improved, with enhanced collaboration established with agencies such as the Ghana Immigration Service and National Security.
“Currently, we can depend on the Ghana Immigration Service to prevent someone from traveling, and we can also count on National Security to block someone [from leaving Ghana]. Previously, when you contacted Immigration, there was no response. You could write to Immigration, and there would be no reply. That was the reality at that time,” he remarked.
His remarks come in light of the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s announcement to initiate legal proceedings against several individuals involved in the contentious revenue assurance contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) by the conclusion of November 2025.
Those anticipated to be prosecuted include former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, former Commissioner-Generals of the GRA — Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Emmanuel Kofi Nti — along with GRA officials Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoa. Additionally, Ernest Akore, the former Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, will also face charges from the Special Prosecutor.
This decision follows several months of investigations conducted by the OSP, which revealed alleged corruption, misuse of office, and violations of procurement regulations in the awarding and implementation of the SML-GRA contracts.
