Gov’t moves to extradite Ofori-Atta, former aide from US – Attorney-General

The government has formally asked authorities in the United States to extradite former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and his former Chief of Staff, Ernest Darko Akore, to face corruption-related charges filed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, disclosed this on Thursday, December 18, 2025, during the Government Accountability Series. He said the request was sent after his office completed all legal and procedural checks.

“This step was taken after my office received the necessary documentation and clarifications from the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” Dr. Ayine said, confirming that the extradition request had been formally transmitted to U.S. authorities.

According to him, the two former officials are expected to answer to 78 corruption and corruption-related charges already filed by the OSP. He explained that once the request was sent, the process moved beyond Ghana’s control.

“It is now in the hands of the U.S. judicial authorities to ascertain whether the threshold for extradition has been met,” he said.

Dr. Ayine said his office received a formal request from the OSP on November 19, 2025, asking for extradition proceedings to begin against Mr. Ofori-Atta and Mr. Akore, who are both believed to be in the United States. A review by the Attorney-General’s International Cooperation Unit later identified gaps in the documents submitted.

“As a result, we communicated our observations to the Office of the Special Prosecutor in a letter dated November 25 and requested additional documentation to ensure completeness,” he said.

He noted that the OSP responded on December 9, 2025, providing the required documents. The completed extradition package was then forwarded through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the United States Department of Justice.

“At this point, it is left to the authorities of the United States, particularly the judicial authorities, to determine whether there is sufficient basis for the two accused persons to be extradited to Ghana to stand trial,” Dr. Ayine added.

The extradition request follows criminal charges filed by the OSP on November 18 against Mr. Ofori-Atta and seven others, including Mr. Akore, over alleged financial irregularities linked to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).