Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has weighed in on the swirling controversy surrounding the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) ongoing investigations into former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, following claims by his family that he is being “persecuted.”
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Kpebu offered a layered analysis of the family’s position, acknowledging their right to express concerns while urging that due process be allowed to run its course.
“You can’t take that argument from them, no… that’s their interpretation,” Kpebu stated, referencing the family’s assertion that Ofori-Atta is being unfairly targeted.
“While the family *can* make that argument,” he added, “it doesn’t mean that the family are right.”
He went further to clarify that although the statement “doesn’t appear to be unreasonable” considering the prevailing tensions, “this does not equate to its factual or legal accuracy.”
According to Kpebu, perceptions of persecution must be separated from the legal standards that govern accountability.
The legal practitioner was also critical of the OSP’s initial reluctance to accept offers of cooperation from Ofori-Atta.
“Once OSP didn’t take that offer [for cooperation], we can’t take that argument from them that they see this as persecution,” he noted, implying that the Special Prosecutor may have inadvertently opened the door to such accusations.
However, Kpebu remained hopeful that justice can still be pursued without political undertones clouding the process.
“I believe if we use the right processes, we can still go through and hold him accountable,” he asserted, emphasizing that resorting to Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) would preserve the integrity of the investigation while defusing emotional narratives of witch-hunting.
The Ofori-Atta family’s public defense of the former minister has stirred significant debate, especially in the wake of heightened scrutiny over public officials’ financial dealings.
