Declaring people wanted is unconstitutional – Kofi Bentil on OSP vs Ofori-Atta – Nsemkeka
Vice-President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has questioned the constitutionality of the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) decision to declare former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta wanted, after his failure to appear before the office.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, June 7, Mr Bentil argued that the move violates fundamental legal principles, stating, “It is not constitutional for any institution to declare a person wanted because they did not submit themselves to investigation.”
His comments come after the OSP reinstated Mr Ofori-Atta’s wanted status following his absence on June 2, despite a medical excuse from his legal team citing cancer treatment.
The OSP deemed the justification insufficient and initiated steps to place him on INTERPOL’s Red Notice list, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing probe.
On Thursday, June 5, Mr Ofori-Atta was officially listed on INTERPOL’s Red Notice database.
The listing describes him as a 65-year-old Ghanaian male, born on November 7, 1959, in Accra, standing 1.7 metres tall, with black hair and eyes, and fluent in English and Twi.