Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has expressed strong doubts that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will voluntarily return to Ghana to face corruption-related charges, arguing that the conduct of both the suspect and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) points to a deeply mishandled process.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News, Kpebu said the issue was not simply about trust but about the practical realities surrounding the case and the actions taken so far.
“Not trusting is not exactly the word. The issue is that it is a complex matter. Ofori-Atta does not intend to come. If he intended to come, he would not have allowed the extradition proceedings to go this far,” he stated.
Kpebu criticised the OSP, led by Kissi Agyabeng, describing the current situation as a self-inflicted setback that has weakened Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts.
According to him, the Special Prosecutor failed to act decisively when the opportunity existed.
“This is an own goal by the Special Prosecutor. A petition was presented to him in December 2023, yet he sat on the docket until Ofori-Atta left the country. Even when he [Special Prosecutor] saw him [Ofori-Atta], he refused to arrest him,” Kpebu said.
The legal practitioner questioned how the OSP could now justify extradition proceedings after previously declining to take action when the former finance minister was still within the jurisdiction.
Kpebu went further to call for the removal of the Special Prosecutor, arguing that the handling of the case amounted to a serious injustice to the Ghanaian public.
“Ghana should not sit for even one more day. Kissi Agyabeng must leave that office,” he said. “You cannot have someone with five cases around his neck and then tell Ghanaians that you were powerless. That is injustice.”
