'Wanted' Ken Ofori-Atta must carry his own cross

play videoFormer Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta [L] and Vincent Ekow Assafuah

The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has stated that the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, must accept full responsibility for his actions amid ongoing corruption investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

His comment comes after the OSP officially declared Ken Ofori-Atta a suspect in four high-profile corruption investigations, including cases related to the National Cathedral project, Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML), and two other matters.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, February 12, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng stated that Ofori-Atta is now a wanted person and must return to Ghana immediately to face questioning.

He warned that failure to comply would result in measures being taken to compel his return.

Dismissing claims that Ofori-Atta had left the country for medical treatment, Agyebeng insisted that the former minister must cooperate with the ongoing investigations.

He also refuted reports suggesting that officials from the OSP had raided Ofori-Atta’s residence on Tuesday, February 11.

Instead, Agyebeng alleged that the raid was staged by the former minister himself in an attempt to mislead the public and discredit the OSP’s investigations.

Commenting further on the issue in an interview with Starr News, Vincent Assafuah, who is also a lawyer, said the former finance minister “must carry his own cross.”

In 2022, 90 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament demanded the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta over his poor handling of the economy, which was in dire straits.

The MPs threatened to boycott government business and the presentation of the 2023 budget. However, then-President Akufo-Addo feared that terminating Ofori-Atta’s appointment would disrupt the IMF programme and appealed to the MPs to exercise patience.

He met with the aggrieved MPs at the Jubilee House, where he appealed for calm.

In a statement, however, the then-Majority Caucus said it had agreed to accede to the President’s appeal.

Ken Ofori-Atta was eventually relieved of his position in a cabinet reshuffle announced on February 14, 2024.