A former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyapong, has stated that the ongoing impasse between the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) makes it difficult for the public to distinguish between what is a proper course of investigation and political prosecution.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast show on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the former Presidential aspirant of the NPP did not mince words in expressing worry over the situation, which he describes as a hazardous cycle of retribution and vengeance.
His comments come in the wake of a Monday, June 2, 2025, press conference convened by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, where he redclared the former Fiance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, wanted and a fugitive from justice after failing to attend the OSP on the agreed date of June, 2, 2025.
Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, while addressing the media, said, “This office has always requested his attendance, and we have indicated clearly to him that we are unwilling to waive it. If we were amenable to taking any statement from Ken Ofori-Atta in absentia, we would have done so in February, and not waited till June 2, 2025.
Reacting to Mr. Ofori-Atta's request to have a virtual meeting with the OSP, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng annulled the request, stating, “We want him here physically, and we insist on it. A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations and the methods suitable to him and his convenience. We will not countenance this conduct, not in this case.”
Mr. Agyepong stated that such actions blur the lines between legitimate prosecution and political persecution.
“What is happening is becoming a hazardous cycle of retribution and vengeance, which makes it difficult for people to distinguish what is a proper course of investigation and political prosecution. It has got muddied,” he remarked.
Mr. Agyepong posited that the OSP has the opportunity to build a solid case with all the access it has at its disposal, with all state intelligence and prosecutorial powers, instead of resorting to public declarations.
Further highlighting the situation, Mr. Agyepong said, “The government has control of all the state security intelligence agencies. If you are building a case against someone, it should be easy with all these institutions available to the government and the attorney general to make the right decision.
“So, if the special prosecutor wants to prosecute someone, you are the prosecutor, and you build your case. After you are done and you believe in the evidence you have gathered, you proceed to court. You are not a judge to declare someone a fugitive, just because you cannot have access to the person,” he averred.
Tags: Ghana News - Ghana - Ken Ofori-Atta
