AG sends extradition request for Ofori-Atta to US authorities

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has confirmed that Ghana has formally forwarded an extradition request to the United States for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and an alleged accomplice, Ernest Akore.

Dr Ayine made this known while addressing the government’s Accountability Series on Thursday, December 18, 2025.

He explained that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) triggered the process on November 19, 2025, by submitting a request for the initiation of extradition proceedings against the two individuals as part of investigations into alleged financial losses linked to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).

According to the Attorney General, the request marked a significant step in efforts to hold the former finance minister accountable over his alleged role in the matter.

He disclosed that after an initial assessment, the International Cooperation Unit of the Attorney General’s Department identified deficiencies in the documentation that needed to be addressed to satisfy legal and procedural requirements.

“Following our review, we wrote to the Office of the Special Prosecutor on November 25, pointing out the gaps and requesting additional documents to ensure the request was complete,” Dr Ayine said.

He noted that the OSP responded on December 9, 2025, with the required supplementary materials, effectively completing the extradition request package.

Dr Ayine said his office then transmitted the finalised documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 10, 2025, for onward delivery to the relevant US authorities, particularly the Department of Justice.

He emphasised, however, that the next steps are now in the hands of the United States.

“At this stage, it is for the judicial authorities in the United States to determine whether there is sufficient legal basis for the extradition of the two accused persons to Ghana to face trial,” he stated.