Hassan Tampuli, the Member of Parliament for Gushegu and Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, says recent actions surrounding the Ken Ofori-Atta case risk creating the impression of political persecution in the eyes of the United States government.

Speaking on Newsfile, the NPP lawmaker argued that efforts to internationalise the matter could complicate Ghana’s pursuit of accountability by framing what he described as a domestic legal issue as one driven by political motives.

“You are building certain points for the US embassy people or even the American government to believe that, look, this is not just any simple criminal case. It looks like there are political undercurrents,” Mr Tampuli said. “So, if Ken is building his case on the point that, look, all of this thing is about political persecution.”

His comments come amid renewed public debate over the legal and political implications of the case involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who served from 2017 to 2024 under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Mr Ofori-Atta has, in recent years, been at the centre of several controversies over alleged financial mismanagement and procurement-related issues during his tenure. The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced investigations into a number of transactions approved under his leadership, including revenue assurance contracts, aspects of the public debt restructuring programme, and payments made through sole-sourcing arrangements.

The former finance minister is currently outside the country, with his lawyers maintaining that he remains willing to cooperate with any lawful investigative process. They have cited health and security concerns as reasons for his temporary stay abroad.

Tensions escalated on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, when members of pressure group Arise Ghana staged a picket at the United States Embassy in Accra, demanding the immediate return of Mr Ofori-Atta to Ghana to face justice.

The protesters called on U.S. authorities to cooperate with Ghanaian institutions, insisting that accountability should apply to all public officials without exception. According to the group, the demonstration was meant to reinforce their demand that the former finance minister “return to Ghana to face justice,” arguing that no individual should be allowed to evade the law.

Mr Tampuli, however, warned that such actions could undermine Ghana’s legal processes by giving credence to claims of political targeting, particularly in an international context.