Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta sues OSP for declaring him wanted

The immediate former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has sued the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and its head, Kissi Agyebeng, alleging that they unlawfully declared him wanted.

The complaint, which was filed on Thursday, March 13, 2025, before the Accra High Court, asked for damages and a ruling that the OSP’s actions violated Ofori-Atta’s fundamental human rights.

Ofori-Atta’s attorneys claim that the public statement he made on February 12 caused him undue stress and serious, irreversible damage to his reputation. They took serious issue with Ofori-Atta’s continued listing as a wanted person on the OSP’s website, even after the agency said on February 18 that it had taken the tag off.

See some of the declarations from Ofori-Atta’s suit below:

1. The OSP has no legal mandate to use media briefings to declare an individual wanted. Ken Ofori-Atta argues that such declarations fall under police jurisdiction and must be done with court approval.
2. . By declaring him wanted without proper legal basis, the OSP allegedly exceeded its authority under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (LI 2374).
3. The alleged unlawful declaration infringes on his personal liberty (Article 14) and freedom of movement (Article 21) as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. It also violates international human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR).

4.) Any act of the Office of the Special Prosecutor as a State Agency that violates the Applicant’s human rights will amount to a breach of Ghana’s international treaty obligations under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com