The Human Rights Court has dismissed an application by former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta seeking leave to amend his writ and force the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to provide additional documentation.

The decision was handed down on Tuesday, November 25.

The move comes amid a broader legal battle in which Mr Ofori-Atta is challenging his designation as a “wanted person” and the arrest warrant issued against him.

In March 2025, he sued the OSP, alleging that the “wanted” notice violated his rights to public image, administrative justice and due process.

In its ruling, the court held that the documents requested by Mr Ofori-Atta were “unnecessary” and awarded costs of GHS 5,000 against him for “wasting the court’s time.”

The court has adjourned the substantive ruling on his request to amend the original writ until 12 December 2025.

The OSP in a post on Facebook, following the ruling, said "Civil Suit: Ken Ofori-Atta v. OSP & AG

"The Human Rights Court this morning dismissed an application by Kenneth Ofori-Atta seeking leave to amend his writ and to obtain discovery. This matter is one of several suits filed by Mr Ofori-Atta challenging his designation as a wanted person and the arrest warrant on which that designation was based."

The Court held that the documents requested were unnecessary and awarded costs of GHS 5,000 against the applicant for wasting the Court’s time. The substantive ruling on the request to amend the original writ has been adjourned to 12 December 2025."

Background

The OSP formally declared Mr Ofori-Atta a wanted person in February 2025 after he failed to appear before the office for questioning.

His lawyers previously submitted a medical note suggesting he was undergoing treatment abroad, but the OSP rejected it, describing it as insufficient medical evidence.

After his name was briefly removed from the wanted list following a commitment by Mr Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana, the OSP reinstated him on its list when he failed to show up on the agreed date.

Mr Ofori-Atta is also resisting an INTERPOL Red Notice issued in connection with ongoing corruption investigations.