The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has clarified that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Red Notice remains active and under review.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, November 19, 2025, the OSP dismissed reports suggesting the alert had been removed as misleading and mischievous. The office confirmed that proceedings regarding Ofori-Atta’s request to have his name removed from INTERPOL’s Red Notice are still ongoing with the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF).
The CCF informed Ghanaian authorities in October that Ofori-Atta had applied for the removal of his name from the international alert. Ghana submitted its initial response on October 22, 2025. The Commission later indicated on November 7, 2025, that Ofori-Atta had filed additional arguments, prompting a further request for Ghana’s reply by November 21.
The OSP stressed that the matter remains under review as the Commission continues to study the case. It added that applicants’ names, images, and other details are often withheld from public records until a final decision is made. The public is therefore urged to disregard any reports suggesting the Red Notice has been removed.
INTERPOL placed Ofori-Atta on a Red Notice alert on its website on June 5, 2025, at the request of the OSP after he failed to appear for a scheduled interrogation on June 2. At the time, the OSP had not yet charged Ofori-Atta for any offence but had declared him a fugitive from justice.
On Monday, November 18, 2025, the OSP formally charged Ofori-Atta and seven others with 78 counts related to the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contract scandal. The charges include corruption-related offences that allegedly caused financial loss of 1.4 billion Ghanaian cedis (GH¢1.4 billion) to the state.
Ofori-Atta’s family has accused the OSP of abusing its powers in what it calls a premeditated vendetta against the former official. The family condemned the issuance of the INTERPOL Red Notice and declared the OSP’s actions as violations of due process, constitutional rights, and international law.
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. However, a Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.
The majority of Red Notices are restricted to law enforcement use only. Extracts are published at the request of the member country concerned and where the public’s help may be needed to locate an individual or if the individual may pose a threat to public safety.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
