Enayat Qasimi, an international legal practitioner and counsel for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has described the ongoing GRA–SML case involving his client as politically motivated, insisting that Ofori-Atta is not evading justice.
Qasimi argued that investigative authorities, particularly the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), were fully aware that the former finance minister was receiving medical treatment abroad and therefore had no basis to issue a Red Notice against him.
Mr Ofori-Atta is facing 78 counts of corruption alongside seven others over the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) revenue assurance contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The charges include alleged breaches of Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Section 92(2)(b) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Qasimi stressed that his client remains ready to cooperate fully with Ghana’s legal process.
“He is fully committed to complying with the laws of Ghana, and he is fully committed to answering for anything that he did when he was the finance minister. There is absolutely no question about that,” he said.
According to Qasimi, the key concern is whether Ofori-Atta’s constitutional rights are being respected. “The question is, is he being given the rights that he’s guaranteed under Ghanaian law? He is not, and he has never been,” he added.
He further maintained that the OSP had full knowledge of Ofori-Atta’s location and health status. “Mr Ofori-Atta was receiving treatment. He was in the US, and they knew all along. There was no purpose for issuing the Red Notice, but they went ahead and issued it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced on December 18 that his office has formally submitted an extradition request to the United States for Ken Ofori-Atta and an alleged accomplice, Ernest Akore.
