Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has commended the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, for what he describes as the swift handling of the extradition process involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, while sharply criticising the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for earlier inaction.

Mr Kpebu’s comments follow the Attorney-General’s announcement that the Government has formally submitted an extradition request to the United States authorities for Ken Ofori-Atta and Ernest Darko Akore to face corruption-related charges initiated by the OSP.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on Thursday, December 18, Mr Kpebu said Dr Ayine had handled the matter “with the requisite dispatch.”

“Dr Ayine has dealt with this matter with the requisite dispatch. But the problem comes from Kissi Agyabeng’s refusal to investigate this matter when it was first reported,” he said.

Mr Kpebu alleged that the Special Prosecutor’s actions—or lack thereof—effectively enabled Mr Ofori-Atta to leave the country and evade justice.

He referenced investigations published by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, which he said showed that although a petition was submitted to the OSP in December 2023, formal investigations only began in January 2025, by which time Mr Ofori-Atta had already left Ghana.

According to him, the delay was unjustifiable, particularly since the former finance minister was allegedly seen by the Special Prosecutor but was not arrested.

“Why would a petition be presented to you in December 2023, and you sit on it until Ofori-Atta leaves the country? Even when he was seen, he was not arrested,” he added.