 decision to publicly declare former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta){kind=link}
Member of Parliament for South Tongu, Hon. Maxwell Lukutor, has defended the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) decision to publicly declare former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta a fugitive, arguing that the move forced him to respond and cooperate with the investigation.
The MP made these remarks during an exclusive interview on Bullet TV’s morning show, Target.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) launched an investigation into Ken Ofori Atta regarding alleged financial misconduct.
However, Ofori-Atta, who had been invited for questioning, left the country and later wrote to the OSP stating that he was out of Ghana indefinitely. This led the Special Prosecutor to invoke his powers to declare him a fugitive, a move that sparked debate among legal and political commentators.
While some critics argued that the OSP acted too hastily in making the declaration, Maxwell Lukutor insists that the action was necessary to prevent Ofori Atta from evading accountability.
In his interview, Lukutor criticized Ofori-Atta’s initial refusal to cooperate, stating that no one is above the law.
“We have heard of similar cases in the past where individuals simply ignored investigations. How can you be under investigation and then leave the country indefinitely? That suggests you do not want to be investigated,” he stated.
According to Lukutor, if Ofori-Atta was genuinely seeking medical treatment abroad, he should have provided a clear timeline for his return.
“Everybody goes for medical reviews, and there are always timelines, if one surgery is done, another follows after six weeks. But in this case, he initially claimed he would be unavailable indefinitely, only to later write that he would return by May 31. That alone shows he was avoiding accountability until the OSP took action,” he argued.
The South Tongu MP believes that the OSP’s public declaration was the catalyst that compelled Ofori-Atta to formally acknowledge the investigation and provide a return date.
“Before now, even when the majority MPs wanted him removed, the President silenced them. It was as if the Finance Ministry was being run like a family business, where no one could question decisions. That arrogance was what led to this situation,” Lukutor asserted.
He further stated that the OSP had no choice but to exercise its full powers, as allowing Ofori-Atta to dictate the terms of his cooperation would have undermined the rule of law.
“If the OSP had waited, nothing would have changed. The law must work, and that’s exactly what happened. Now, he has been forced to comply,” he added.
With Ofori-Atta now scheduled to return by May 31, the OSP is expected to resume its investigations.
Meanwhile, legal experts remain divided on whether the OSP’s actions were excessive or necessary in ensuring compliance.
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