Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has stated that he would not advise former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana as legal tensions intensify between him and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, June 7, Mr Bentil expressed strong reservations about the handling of the case, suggesting that Ofori-Atta should allow the legal process to continue without him physically present in Ghana.

“If I had the right to advise Ken, I will tell him, don’t come to Ghana. Let them try you in absentia and do whatever they will do, and we will take it from there,” he stated.

Ken Ofori-Atta was declared wanted by the OSP after he failed to appear by a June 2 deadline. His legal team had submitted medical documents indicating that he is battling cancer and is due for a procedure, but the OSP deemed the explanation insufficient.

As a result, the office announced plans to engage INTERPOL to issue a Red Notice for his arrest.

On Thursday, June 5, INTERPOL officially listed Ofori-Atta on its Red Notice database. The alert described him as a 65-year-old Ghanaian male, born on 7 November 1959 in Accra.

He is 1.7 metres tall, has black hair and black eyes, and speaks English and Twi.