Member of Parliament for South Tongu, Maxwell Lukutor, has defended the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) decision to publicly declare former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta a fugitive, arguing that the move compelled him to respond and cooperate with the investigation.
The MP made these remarks during an exclusive interview on Bullet TV’s morning show, Morning Target.
The OSP launched an investigation into Ken Ofori-Atta over alleged financial misconduct.
However, after being invited for questioning, Mr Ofori-Atta left the country for medical treatment.
In response, the Special Prosecutor invoked his powers to declare him a fugitive—an action that sparked debate among legal and political commentators.
While some critics argued that the OSP acted too hastily, Mr Lukutor insists the move was necessary to prevent Mr Ofori-Atta from evading accountability.
In his interview with Nana Kweku Aduah, who co-hosts the show with Seli Acolatse Apaloo, Mr Lukutor criticised Ofori-Atta’s initial refusal to cooperate, stating that no one is above the law.
“We have heard of similar cases in the past where individuals simply ignored investigations. How can you be under investigation and then leave the country indefinitely? That suggests you do not want to be investigated,” he said.
According to Mr Lukutor, if Mr Ofori-Atta had genuinely left for medical treatment, he should have provided a clear timeline for his return.
“Everybody goes for medical reviews, and there are always timelines—if one surgery is done, another follows after six weeks. But in this case, he initially claimed he would be unavailable indefinitely, only to later write that he would return by May 31. That alone shows he was avoiding accountability until the OSP took action,” he argued.
The South Tongu MP believes the OSP’s public declaration was the key factor that forced Ofori-Atta to acknowledge the investigation and provide a return date.
“Before now, even when the majority MPs wanted him removed, the President silenced them. It was as if the Finance Ministry was being run like a family business, where no one could question decisions. That arrogance was what led to this situation,” Mr Lukutor asserted.
He further stated that the OSP had no choice but to exercise its full powers, as allowing Ofori-Atta to dictate the terms of his cooperation would have undermined the rule of law.
“If the OSP had waited, nothing would have changed. The law must work, and that’s exactly what happened. Now, he has been forced to comply,” he added.
By Ebenezer Madugu
