Ken Ofori-Atta's trial stalls as OSP seeks more time

The case, being pursued by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), was scheduled to hold a case management conference on Wednesday, a key pre-trial session expected to set the framework for how the criminal proceedings will unfold.

Instead, the hearing ended with the prosecution requesting additional time to complete outstanding legal requirements, particularly those involving the service of summons on accused persons currently outside Ghana.

Summons Yet To Reach Ofori-Atta And Ernest Akore

The case management conference could not proceed because the OSP has not yet been able to serve summons on Ken Ofori-Atta and another accused person, Ernest Darko Akore, both of whom have been declared fugitives from justice.

The prosecution told the court that since the two men are currently outside the country, the summons must be served through international legal processes involving the Attorney-General’s Department, a procedure that remains incomplete.

The OSP explained that without proper service, the court cannot formally move forward with trial directives or substantive hearings.

Disclosure Documents Still Outstanding

Beyond the challenge of reaching the accused persons abroad, the prosecution also admitted that it has not completed another critical requirement: the filing and serving of all disclosure documents.

Under the criminal procedure rules, the prosecution is required to provide the defence with all relevant documents and evidence before the case management conference can properly take place.

Although the OSP has filed some disclosures, it informed the court that not all have been served on defence lawyers, prompting the request for more time to ensure full compliance.

Court Grants Adjournment To February 26

Following the prosecution’s plea, the court granted the adjournment and rescheduled the case management conference to February 26, 2026, with the expectation that all procedural issues—including summons service and disclosure obligations—will be resolved before the next sitting.

Charges Filed In November 2025

The case stems from charges filed in November 2025, when the OSP formally accused Ken Ofori-Atta and his co-accused of multiple counts of corruption and corruption-related offences.

The charges are largely linked to controversial contracts awarded to Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and other procurement transactions involving public funds.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons allegedly engaged in unlawful conduct that resulted in significant financial loss to the state through improper payments, procurement breaches, and related infractions connected to government contracts executed between 2018 and 2024.

Eight Accused Persons Named

The eight accused persons in the ongoing trial are:

Ken Ofori-Atta (former Finance Minister), Ernest Darko Akore, Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, Isaac Crentsil, Kwadwo Damoah, Evans Adusei and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML)

The prosecution maintains that their actions contributed to unlawful state expenditure and abuse of public procurement processes.

Trial Delays Raise Public Interest

With Ken Ofori-Atta and Ernest Akore still outside the jurisdiction, the success of the trial’s next phase will largely depend on the completion of international legal cooperation processes and whether the fugitives can be compelled to appear before the court.

For now, the proceedings remain stalled until February 26, when the court is expected to finally conduct the long-awaited case management conference and determine the next steps.