The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) says the United States Department of Justice has not yet confirmed that former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta has been formally served with criminal charges, as legal and extradition-related processes continue to unfold.
According to the Director of Strategy, Research and Communications at the OSP, Sammy Darko, the absence of such confirmation means the formal service process remains incomplete, despite earlier court approval in Ghana for charges to be served outside the jurisdiction.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, June 16, Mr Darko explained that Ghanaian authorities are still awaiting official feedback from their U.S. counterparts.
“As we speak now, the U.S. Justice Department hasn’t gotten back to Ghana that it has served Ken Ofori-Atta,” he said.
He noted that the procedural steps for serving a suspect outside Ghana require coordination between the Attorney General’s Department and the United States Department of Justice under established legal and diplomatic channels.
Mr Darko explained that once a Ghanaian court authorises service abroad, the request is transmitted through the Attorney General, who engages the relevant U.S. authorities to facilitate execution.
He added that the process forms part of broader extradition-related procedures, which are still ongoing and have not yet reached the stage of formal judicial determination in the United States.
His comments come in response to a question on whether Mr. Ofori-Atta has been formally served with any criminal charges in Ghana, following remarks by his lawyer, Frank Davies. The lawyer stated that former Finance Minister has not been officially notified of any criminal charges against him in Ghana.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, June 16, Mr. Davies maintained that neither Ofori-Atta nor his legal team has received any formal communication indicating that charges have been filed against him.
