The prosecution of ex-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to restart on Thursday, August 27, 2026, after the Supreme Court ruled that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) Act, 2017 (Act 959) is constitutionally sound.
The OSP made the announcement in a Facebook update on Monday, August 10. The ruling settles months of legal arguments over whether the anti-corruption body had the right to investigate and bring corruption charges without extra approvals.
Several OSP prosecutions were stalled from April 2026 after a High Court judgment cast doubt on the Office’s authority and questioned if it needed prior permission before taking cases to court.
Mr Ofori-Atta is now facing 28 counts of corruption and related offences linked to the revenue assurance agreement between Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The OSP first filed charges against him and seven others in November 2025 on 78 counts. After revisions, the former minister’s charges were reduced to 28, while the remaining accused face different counts related to the same matter.
Those being tried with him include former GRA Commissioners-General, Emmanuel Kofi Nti, and Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah; ex-Customs Commissioners, Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoah; SML CEO, Evans Adusei; and Ernest Darko Akore, who previously served as Chief of Cabinet to Mr Ofori-Atta.
Prosecutors allege the group engaged in various corrupt practices connected to the SML-GRA revenue assurance deal. In a separate development, Mr Ofori-Atta has been granted permanent US residency after an American Immigration Court approved his application for adjustment of status. His legal team said in June 2026 that the court had given the green light to his Green Card request.
The decision came after US immigration hearings that looked into his stay in America and steps taken by Ghanaian authorities. The OSP however, said the US immigration outcome has no bearing on the criminal case in Ghana.
The Office stated it was not involved in the US immigration process and that its focus is on extradition proceedings being handled through the Attorney-General’s office.
It further noted that the extradition file was not part of the immigration hearing, and so any conclusions from that court should not be seen as a judgment on the charges filed in Ghana.Even with permanent residency, the OSP insists Mr Ofori-Atta is still a Ghanaian and could be extradited to face trial here if a US extradition court approves it.
