Anti-graft campaigner, Edem Senanu has advised former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to prioritise clearing his name rather than engaging in a legal battle with the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

According to Mr, Ofori-Atta’s recent legal action against the OSP raises questions about his commitment to cooperating with the investigation.

“I assume that the context within which the lawyers for Mr Ken Ofori-Atta had negotiated his name being taken off was simply the fact that they have now confirmed with further and better particulars when exactly he would be making himself available for the Special Prosecutor to engage.

• Read also: Ofori-Atta will be declared wanted again if he fails to meet June 2 deadline – OSP

"So I find it curious that subsequent to that, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta is now raising issues that would seem to suggest that he doesn’t seem to present himself,” he said on JoyNews' The Pulse on Monday, March 17.

His comments come in response to Ofori-Atta’s recent lawsuit against the OSP, in which the former finance minister challenges the legality of his declaration as a “WANTED” person and a “fugitive from justice.”

Ofori-Atta argues that the OSP overstepped its statutory powers by making such declarations in a media briefing, violating his fundamental human rights and breaching constitutional provisions.

Mr Senanu expressed concern that this development could be seen as a breach of trust, as the OSP had removed Mr Ofori-Atta’s name from the wanted list based on an agreement that he would appear for questioning.

• Ken Ofori-Atta sues OSP for declaring him wanted

“In my understanding, the Special Prosecutor took his name off on the assumption that whatever the layers had negotiated was a firm commitment to showing up to be questioned so that these five cases where he is a prime suspect could be dealt with and concluded, ” he noted.

The anti-graft campaigner questioned the former minister’s decision to pursue legal action instead of engaging with the OSP.

“I think this is a war that – when you want to start a war, you need to think through whether it is really worthwhile. I wonder why Mr. Ofori-Atta at this stage would want to take this up,” he stated.

Mr Senanu suggested that a better approach would be for Mr Ofori-Atta to first provide evidence to prove his innocence before considering any legal action against the OSP.

“If I were in his position, I would have first engaged with the Special Prosecutor, provided the evidence and information to show that I hadn’t committed any crime and subsequent to that, taken the Special Prosecutor on for any legal procedures that he made any mistakes, any right that he’s infringed on but first focus on clearing your name,” he advised.