The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has firmly distanced itself from an alleged medical report circulating in the media regarding former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, stressing that neither the document nor any accompanying certified medical records have been officially submitted to the OSP as part of ongoing investigations.
In a public notice dated June 3, 2025, the OSP clarified that it had only received a letter from Mr. Ofori-Atta’s legal team notifying the office of a change in his medical condition—an assertion made solely on the word of his lawyers.
“It is notable that this alleged hospital letter has been circulated through the media rather than submitted to the law enforcement agency actively investigating him and responsible for decisions regarding his return to Ghana.”.
Office of the Special Prosecutor
The controversy revolves around a letter dated May 14, 2025, signed by Dr. Ahmed Abdalrhim of the Mayo Clinic’s Section of International Medicine, indicating that Mr. Ofori-Atta had undergone an MRI-guided biopsy and had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
According to the letter, a surgical procedure is scheduled for June 13, 2025, under the care of Dr. Paras Shah of the Department of Urology. The document further noted that Mr. Ofori-Atta will need a post-surgery recovery period before being fit to travel to Ghana.
Despite the seeming legitimacy of the Mayo Clinic correspondence, the OSP insisted that no authenticated or certified medical documents confirming Mr. Ofori-Atta’s inability to travel have been received.
The office’s position reflects mounting frustration over what it describes as a pattern of non-cooperation from the former finance minister and his legal team.
Fugitive of Justice
The Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, recently reclassified Mr. Ofori-Atta as a “fugitive of justice,” reinstating him on Ghana’s national red alert list.
This drastic move was announced at a media briefing where Mr. Agyebeng lamented Mr. Ofori-Atta’s continued evasion of direct questioning by the OSP in connection with the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) deal.
The renewed designation followed a formal request from Mr. Ofori-Atta’s lawyers, asking the OSP to allow their client to undergo a virtual interrogation due to his health challenges.
However, the OSP categorically rejected the proposal. In a letter dated May 30, 2025, the office informed Mr. Ofori-Atta’s legal team that only a physical, in-person appearance would be accepted as part of the legal process.
The refusal underscored the OSP’s insistence on procedural integrity and its unwillingness to make exceptions in what it describes as a case of national interest.
In the current standoff, the OSP’s demand is simple: submit certified, verifiable medical documents through the appropriate legal channels or comply with the lawful summons to appear.
Until such documentation is received and validated, the office maintained that Mr. Ofori-Atta remains answerable to Ghana’s justice system and cannot be excused on the basis of unverified health claims publicized through media outlets.
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