Private legal practitioner, Alfred Paapa Darkwah, has raised concerns about the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) declaring former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, wanted over multiple financial misconduct allegations.
In an interview with Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, February 17, Darkwah questioned the legal basis for the OSP’s actions. He stated that if the Special Prosecutor possesses sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Ofori-Atta, it would be more appropriate to proceed directly to court rather than issuing a wanted declaration.
“I think what we should all be asking the OSP is, what is Ofori-Atta wanted for? What are the offenses that he has committed that justify this declaration? Does the OSP have enough evidence to proceed with prosecution? If yes, then the OSP should proceed to court and prosecute him,” Darkwah explained.
He further argued that if the OSP believes it has a solid case, it should consider trying Ofori-Atta in absentia instead of placing him on a wanted list.
“Absolutely, because with what is happening, you’d see that Mr. Ofori-Atta’s lawyers have made some correspondence with the OSP. They have informed the OSP of his whereabouts and the difficulty in his returning to the jurisdiction. If the OSP is not satisfied, why should it put him on a wanted list?” he questioned.
When asked whether the OSP had exceeded its legal authority—given that it holds certain powers similar to those of the police—Darkwah responded:
“No, the powers that the OSP has as a police authority are based on reasonable grounds of suspicion that Mr. Ofori-Atta has committed an offense. So, the first thing is that there has to be an offense committed. Now, in all the correspondence from the OSP, do we know the offense that has been committed by him?” Darkwah further questioned.
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