The Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has confirmed that Ghana has formally transmitted an extradition request to the United States for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and an alleged accomplice, Ernest Darko Kore.
Dr Ayine disclosed this while addressing the government’s Accountability Series on Thursday, December 18, 2025. He explained that the process was initiated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on November 19, 2025, following a request for the commencement of extradition proceedings against the two individuals.
According to the Attorney General, the request forms part of investigations into Mr Ofori-Atta’s alleged role in causing financial loss in relation to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
He revealed that after a preliminary assessment, the International Cooperation Unit of the Attorney General’s Department identified gaps in the initial documentation that required further clarification to meet legal and procedural requirements.
“We communicated our observations to the Office of the Special Prosecutor in a letter dated November 25 and requested additional documentation to ensure completeness,” Dr Ayine stated.
He noted that the OSP responded on December 9, 2025, providing the requested supplementary materials and addressing all outstanding concerns. This enabled the Attorney General’s Department to finalise the extradition request.
Dr Ayine said the completed documents were subsequently forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 10, 2025, for onward transmission to the appropriate authorities in the United States, particularly the Department of Justice.
However, he stressed that the final decision now lies with US authorities. “At this stage, it is up to the judicial authorities of the United States to determine whether there is sufficient basis for the extradition of the two accused persons to Ghana to face trial,” he added.
