A member of the legal team of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, says his client is not afraid of criminal prosecution and will return to Ghana to face the law when the time is appropriate.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, January 21, Frank Davies dismissed claims that Mr Ofori-Atta was evading accountability, insisting that no one was shielding the former minister from the law.

“Ken Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta is not scared of criminal prosecution. So those who are saying he should come and account, they should rest their voices,” he said.

“When it is appropriate for Ken to come, he will come. Whether by extradition or otherwise, he will come. And when he comes, he will face the full rigor of the law.”

Mr Davies stressed that the former Finance Minister, like any Ghanaian, is entitled to legal representation and due process, describing public calls suggesting otherwise as misplaced.

• Read also: Arise Ghana continues protest at US Embassy, vowing to continue until Ofori-Atta returns

“Nobody is shielding Ken. Nobody will have that conviction that anyone is shielding Ken. But Ken is supposed to have legal representation, and that is what we have as Ghanaians.

"Nobody can take that legal right from him,” he added, urging critics to “listen to the state and watch the state.”

His comments come amid mounting public pressure from pressure group Arise Ghana, which has been picketing the United States Embassy in Accra to demand the return of the former finance minister to face what the group describes as “justice.”

Mr Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and has been at the centre of several public controversies relating to alleged financial mismanagement and procurement concerns.

In recent years, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced investigations into a number of transactions approved during his tenure, including revenue assurance contracts, aspects of the public debt restructuring programme, and payments made under sole-sourcing arrangements.

His lawyers have previously maintained that he remains willing to cooperate with any lawful investigative process, explaining that his temporary stay outside the country is due to health and security considerations.

Meanwhile, Arise Ghana’s lead convener, Bernard Mornah, says the group is prepared to sustain its protest if Mr Ofori-Atta does not return to Ghana.

Speaking to JoyNews at the protest grounds on Tuesday, Mr Mornah said the group had initially notified the Ghana Police Service of its intention to embark on an indefinite picketing exercise.

• Read also: Arise Ghana vows to camp at US Embassy until Ofori-Atta returns

“Our initial notification to the Ghana Police was for an indefinite protestation and picketing. They requested that we put it into a lot. And so we agreed that the first two weeks would be just to come sit around the United States Embassy,” he said.

He explained that the group would review its strategy after the two-week period, depending on developments surrounding the former minister’s return.

“If the US decides that tomorrow Ken is coming to Ghana, we will terminate our picketing. If Ken is not coming, after two weeks, we will review our operations,” Mr Mornah added.