By Ashiadey Dotse
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has revealed that extradition proceedings have begun in the United States against former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced.
The development was disclosed in court on Thursday, February 26, 2026, during the hearing of a criminal case involving Ofori-Atta and seven other accused persons.
According to the OSP, two separate legal processes have been initiated against the former minister in the United States.
The first case, which began in January 2026, relates to alleged immigration violations. The second process, which started this week, concerns Ghana’s formal request for his extradition to face trial in Ghana.
Prosecutors told the court that Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the Attorney-General that the United States Department of Justice has confirmed receipt of the extradition documents. The charge sheet and summons for Ofori-Atta have also been forwarded to US authorities.
State prosecutors said Ghana is awaiting the outcome of both the immigration case and the extradition process before updating the court on when Ofori-Atta may return to Ghana to appear before the court.
The OSP reminded the court that it had earlier secured approval for summons to be issued for Ofori-Atta and another accused person, Ernest Darko Akore. Both men are subjects of extradition requests filed by the OSP with the Attorney-General on 19 November 2025.
Meanwhile, prosecutors said the charge sheet in the main case has been amended. Although the details of the charges remain the same, the number of counts has been reduced from 78 to 75 after corrections were made.
Following the changes, the affected accused persons were asked to retake their pleas in court. All pleaded not guilty.
The OSP also informed the court that two additional witness statements have been submitted.
The case has been adjourned to March 26, 2026.
