Martin Amidu has issued a strong caution to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the current government, warning against any hasty attempt to compel former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana for prosecution while he is reportedly battling a life-threatening illness.
The former Special Prosecutor drew parallels with the past, referencing what he described as the “folly” of the John Agyekum Kufour administration.
He recalled how a gravely ill Victor Selormey, a former deputy Finance Minister, was forced to return home, only to be arrested, tried, and later die after receiving a last-minute pardon.
“The folly of the John Agyekum Kufour government with Nana Akufo-Addo as the then Attorney-General must not be repeated under an NDC government, should there be unambiguous evidence that Ken Ofori-Atta has a life-threatening illness for which he needs medical attention abroad,” Amidu warned in an open letter available to MyNewsGH.
While Amidu has previously criticised Ofori-Atta over various issues, he emphasized that the former minister must still be accorded his constitutional rights, including access to proper medical care and a fair trial.
“I believe that Ken Ofori-Atta would like to put himself upon the Republic of Ghana for trial for the Republic to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” he stated.
Amidu further argued that the United States government would be unlikely to honour an extradition request for Ofori-Atta if there is credible evidence that his health is failing and the legal process in Ghana appears tainted by public bias.
“The United States government will not extradite Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana under an INTERPOL Red Notice if there is sufficient evidence that he is really ill, needs life-saving medical treatment there and that the whole investigation and prosecutorial process by the OSP has been prejudiced with a prior trial and conviction in the court of public opinion which disables him to have a fair trial in a court of law in Ghana,” he explained.
Turning his focus directly to the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, Amidu accused the OSP of politicizing the investigation and manipulating public perception for personal and institutional gain.
“Kissi Agyebeng is playing games with the taxpayer’s mind to satisfy the OSP’s unlawful entrepreneurial agenda and not to fight corruption and corruption-related offences and the US government can see through the ruse,” Amidu asserted.
He described the OSP as a balloon inflated with misinformation and warned that its credibility could collapse under scrutiny.
“The OSP under Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng is like an inflated balloon which once it bursts reveals the lies and misinformation it conceals for the world to see,” he concluded.
