Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta remains at the centre of a legal controversy following his re-declaration as a wanted fugitive by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The former minister, who is currently under investigation for causing financial loss to the state in five questionable transactions, including the National Cathedral project, has been placed on INTERPOL’s Red Notice and is facing possible extradition to Ghana.
However, Mr Ofori-Atta’s legal team maintains that their client is not evading arrest, stating that he is scheduled to undergo surgery for prostate cancer on 13th June 2025.
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Following his re-declaration as a fugitive on 2nd June, a purported letter from a health facility identified as the Mayo Clinic surfaced on social media, suggesting that Mr Ofori-Atta has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
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The letter, attributed to Ahmed Abdalrhim, M.D., FACP, FSVM, indicated that Mr Ofori-Atta had undergone an MR-guided biopsy and had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It read:
A surgical intervention has been deemed necessary after the testing, MRI, and biopsy procedures conducted in March 2025, as I indicated in my February letter. This surgical procedure has been scheduled for 13th June, with Dr Paras Shah of the Department of Urology (see attached letter). It is hoped that an earlier date may become available.
The letter further stated that, following the procedure, Mr Ofori-Atta would require a recovery period before being able to return to Ghana.
However, in response to the circulating letter, the Office of the Special Prosecutor denied having received any such document from Mr Ofori-Atta or his lawyers.
In a brief statement issued on 3rd June, the OSP clarified that the only communication received from his legal representatives was a letter notifying them of a change in his medical condition, based solely on their assertion.
It is notable that this alleged hospital letter has been circulated through the media rather than submitted to the law enforcement agency actively investigating him and responsible for decisions regarding his return to Ghana.
The OSP insisted that no certified medical records or official documentation from any hospital authority had been submitted to indicate that Mr Ofori-Atta is medically incapacitated or unable to travel.
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Amid the ongoing controversy, Pulse Ghana reached out to Mayo Clinic via email to verify whether Mr Ofori-Atta is indeed a patient of the facility. See email below.
In response, Sharon Theimer, Communications Manager for International Media Relations at Mayo Clinic, stated that the hospital is unable to confirm whether the former minister is a patient due to privacy regulations. See response below.
Meanwhile, Mr Ofori-Atta remains a wanted fugitive, with extradition proceedings expected to commence in the coming weeks.
