The legal net around former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has tightened significantly as Ghana officially activates international judicial cooperation protocols to compel his appearance before the Accra High Court on February 26, 2026.

In a development spanning the last fortnight, the Office of the Attorney-General and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) have successfully transitioned the case from a domestic investigation into a cross-border legal pursuit involving the United States Department of Justice.

According to the latest updates documented in the OSP’s Half-Year Report for 2025 (July to December) and subsequent court filings, the state has moved to bypass the "medical leave" defense currently holding Mr Ofori-Atta in the United States.

Following an application by the OSP, the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra granted an order for summons on December 11, 2025, to be issued for service on the two primary accused persons - Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta and his associate, Ernest Darko Akore - outside the jurisdiction of Ghana in The Republic v. Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta and Seven Others case.

This order marked the judicial recognition that the accused were no longer within reach of domestic bailiffs.

Pursuant to the court’s order, between January 14 – 23, 2026, the Republic of Ghana initiated a multi-agency operation to serve the summons on the accused person in the US.

According to the OSP, certified copies of the charges and summons were transmitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Office of the Attorney-General to the competent authorities in the United States. This formal service is being executed under existing Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) treaties and international judicial cooperation frameworks.

The SML and National Cathedral Files

The case, The Republic vrs Kenneth Ofori-Atta & Seven Others, is anchored in a 78-count indictment that alleges systemic corruption, abuse of office, and financial loss to the state.

1. The SML Revenue Assurance Scandal

At the heart of the OSP’s prosecution is the contract between the Ministry of Finance and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). The OSP alleges that Mr. Ofori-Atta facilitated a "revenue assurance" deal that resulted in the illegal payment of millions of dollars for services that were either redundant or never performed. The investigation suggests that procurement laws were bypassed to favor SML under the guise of "urgent" economic monitoring.

2. The National Cathedral Funding

The 78 counts also encompass the controversial disbursement of state funds toward the National Cathedral of Ghana. The OSP contends that the former minister authorized the release of over GH₵339 million without requisite parliamentary approval, classifying these payments as "seed money" in a manner that allegedly breached the Financial Management Act.

Legal experts suggest that the formal service of summons in the U.S. is the final precursor to an extradition request.

While Mr. Ofori-Atta has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that all financial decisions were made in the best interest of a crashing economy, his co-accused, Ernest Darko Akore, is described by the OSP as a "facilitator" in the movement of funds. The state argues that both individuals acted in concert to undermine Ghana’s financial integrity.

The 78-Count Breakdown (Estimated)

Category of Offense	Number of Counts	Key Allegation
Abuse of Public Office	32 Counts	Favoring SML in contract awards.
Willfully Causing Financial Loss	20 Counts	Unauthorized Cathedral payments.
Corruption of Public Officer	15 Counts	Alleged kickbacks in the SML chain.
Money Laundering	11 Counts	Movement of fees through offshore conduits.

What Happens Next?

With the service of the summons now in the hands of appropriate competent authorities in the U.S., the High Court in Accra is expected to reconvene in late February 2026.

If the accused fails to appear, the OSP is likely to apply for an Interim Forfeiture Order on his domestic assets and a formal Interpol Red Notice to restrict his global movement.