The criminal trial of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and seven others for alleged corruption and corruption-related offences was on Thursday adjourned to April 23, 2026, after a Principal Prosecutor of the State, Adelaide Kobiri-Woode, told the court that processes to serve Ofori-Atta (first accused) and the second accused, Ernest Darko Akore, with the criminal summons and charge sheets had not yet been completed.

The court also heard that the process to extradite Ofori-Atta from the United States of America to Ghana to face trial is yet to be completed.

The other accused persons are: Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, Isaac Crentsil, Kwadwo Damoah, Evans Adusei, who were all in court, and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), which was also represented.

The prosecutor said the case had previously been adjourned for a Case Management Conference to pave the way for the trial to begin; however, with the absence of the two accused persons, the trial could not proceed as planned.

She informed the court that the US Department of Justice had requested further information on the case through Mutual Legal Assistance to aid the extradition of Ken Ofori-Atta and had duly been provided the required information.

When asked by the trial judge, Justice Francis Apanga Achibonga (JA), whether the State would prefer to proceed with the case against the remaining accused persons and abandon the case against Ken Ofori-Atta and Ernest Akore, the prosecutor responded in the negative and indicated that the State was even more interested in serving the criminal summons and charge sheets than in the extradition.

She also noted that the State had filed three new witness statements, which the court learned were filed only on March 25 and were yet to be served on the accused persons.

The court ordered that the witness statements be served.

Speaking on behalf of the lawyers for the accused persons, Professor Kwame Gyan pleaded with the court to discharge or order a longer adjournment time to the six other accused persons, who were all in court, and to recall them when the prosecution was ready to proceed with its case.

He said there was “no human being” who could tell when the ongoing processes to extradite and serve the criminal summons would be completed.

Prof. Gyan reminded the court that, with the exception of Ken Ofori-Atta and Ernest Akore, the rest of the accused had “regularly and religiously” been attending court. They had also “regularly and religiously” been reporting to the Office of the Special Prosecutor in accordance with the court’s orders.

He said attending court month after month indefinitely would take a toll on the accused, while discharging them would afford the Office of the Special Prosecutor ample time to prepare its case.

He assured the court that any time the accused (A3 to A8) were called, they would attend.

Another defence counsel, Mr. Addo Atuah, who spoke in support of the plea to discharge the accused, reminded the court that the cost of prosecuting accused persons ought to be made as low as possible.

He said discharging the accused, all of whom are retirees, would reduce the financial burden on them or, in the alternative, the court should impose extended adjournment dates.

The prosecution, while agreeing that the processes must be expedited, disagreed that the accused had appeared too many times before the court and therefore should be discharged.

Justice Achibonga held that it was the prerogative of the prosecution to proceed with the case, while the court would ensure that justice is done.

In the circumstances, he declined to discharge the third to eighth accused persons but ordered a longer adjournment date to 23rd April 2026 for the conduct of case management conference (CMC).

Below is the charge sheet against the accused.