Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, the former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has chastised the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the handling of Ken Ofori-Atta’s case.
In the continuing case involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, he questioned the OSP’s effectiveness, legal stance, and relevancy.
According to him, the OSP has not leveled any legal charges against Ken Ofori-Atta, nor has he labeled him as an accused person in the case; hence, he believes the OSP is running a media trial against the former minister.
“So what is wrong with this OSP? Is he conducting a public and media trial of Ken Ofori-Atta? As of now, no charges have been brought against Ken, so he’s not an accused person yet—even if the OSP sees him as a person of interest,” he said.
He asserted that the OSP could gather all the evidence it claims to have against the former minister and commence a proper prosecution in court, even in the absence of the accused.
“If the OSP has what he’s claiming he has, why hasn’t he charged Ken with all the assembled facts and evidence and started prosecution in a proper court of law? After all, people have been tried in absentia several times in the past. Does he need the physical presence of Ken before he does his job?” he asked.
Additionally, Mr. Agyepong contested the OSP’s attempt to designate Mr. Ofori-Atta as a “fugitive from justice,” arguing that only a court with the authority to do so may make such a designation.
“That cannot be the mandate of a prosecutor who should be busying himself trying to prove his case before a judge. When he claimed his life was under threat, didn’t he find it necessary to operate outside the country at our expense? If he could work outside the country, then he could equally reach Ken. This is clearly a PR stunt to justify himself in an office that should never have been set up in the first place—a worthless drain on our overstretched public purse.”
“I think Ken’s legal team should call his bluff. Why should Ken provide him with evidence that can incriminate him in a possible trial? The OSP is not a judge and should be stopped from exceeding its mandate,” he stated.
“As a patriot of our beloved motherland, Ghana, I want all who have misconducted themselves whilst in government to face the full consequences of their actions, but in a lawful way, not the high-handed Rambo-style invasions being systematically carried out in the name of ongoing investigations.”
He warned that if such activities are seen as partisan or over the top, they could result in political blowback, particularly for the NPP.
In other news, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana’s much-anticipated 24-Hour Economy initiative will officially launch on July 1, 2025, coinciding with Republic Day celebrations.
