By Issah Olegor
A significant legal development has unfolded in the ongoing saga surrounding former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, as the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) permanently deleted the Red Notice issued against him at the request of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The move, announced on February 13, 2026, marks a dramatic twist in the multi-layered legal and diplomatic battle involving Ofori-Atta, who faces multiple corruption-related charges in Ghana.
The deletion decision, made by INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of Files (CCF) during its 135th session on February 4, 2026, cited political and procedural concerns.
INTERPOL determined that the Red Notice “appears of a predominantly political character” and was not compliant with the organization’s internal rules.
The commission noted contextual factors at the time of issuance, including “polarized political statements from members of current and former administrations” and public controversies surrounding prosecutorial and extradition processes in Ghana.
The organization concluded that subsequent developments—including Ofori-Atta’s known location, ongoing cooperation with U.S. authorities, and initiation of extradition proceedings—made the Red Notice unnecessary.
Ofori-Atta’s legal team, represented by Frank Davies and the Ghanaian firm Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners (MPOBB), celebrated the decision as a vindication.
In an interview on February 14, Davies accused the OSP of abusing its mandate and prioritizing public perception over legal process.
He argued that the deletion of the Red Notice exposed the fragility of the OSP’s claims and cautioned the public against presuming guilt.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor should be serious with Ghanaians… the Office of the Special Prosecutor is abusing that office,” Davies stated.
The OSP, led by Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, acknowledged receipt of INTERPOL’s decision but maintained that deletion of the Red Notice does not affect the underlying criminal case.
In a February 13 press release, the office emphasized that efforts to secure Ofori-Atta’s appearance before Ghanaian courts were ongoing, noting that summonses issued by the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra have been transmitted to the United States.
Under Ghana’s Extradition Act, 1960 (Act 22), extradition proceedings require judicial hearings in the requested country to assess dual criminality, evidentiary sufficiency, and procedural safeguards before executive approval is granted.
Ofori-Atta, who served as the finance minister from 2017 to 2023, has been in U.S. custody since January 6, 2026, when he was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over questions concerning his immigration status.
The former minister had traveled to the United States in January 2025 for medical treatment, including a radical prostatectomy performed in June 2025 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, following a prostate cancer diagnosis.
His stay in the U.S. also involved post-COVID multi-system inflammatory syndrome monitoring.
The former minister’s U.S. immigration case is ongoing. He appeared before Immigration Judge David A. Gardey on January 20, 2026, for a bond hearing conducted in private at his legal team’s request.
The hearing focused on the bail application, while arguments over Ghana’s extradition request were deferred until February 19, 2026, when the U.S. government must provide documentary evidence to support the extradition proceedings.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to April 27, 2026, pending submission of the requested evidence. Until then, Ofori-Atta remains in ICE custody.
