PAC Vice Chair Calls for Trial in Absentia Against Ofori-Atta If Necessary

The Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has called on prosecutors to begin legal proceedings against former Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta without delay, arguing that the courts can try him in absentia if he refuses to return to Ghana.

Davis Opoku Ansah, the PAC Vice Chairman, told reporters that Ofori-Atta’s reported acquisition of permanent residency in the United States should not shield him from accountability for decisions taken during his tenure at the Ministry of Finance. The comments represent the sharpest parliamentary pressure yet on the former minister, who has not set foot in Ghana since leaving office.

“Even a foreigner, somebody who is not of Ghanaian descent, when he commits a crime in our land, the person is punishable by Ghanaian laws,” Opoku Ansah said. “The fact that somebody has gone for American citizenship or has gone for a green card does not mean that we cannot punish the person.”

The PAC Vice Chairman’s intervention comes amid a broader national debate over how to hold former officials accountable when they are beyond the reach of domestic law enforcement. Ofori-Atta’s legal team maintains that he has not been formally notified of any criminal charges in Ghana, a position his lawyer Frank Davies has reiterated publicly. However, Opoku Ansah dismissed the suggestion that the state should wait indefinitely for the former minister’s return.

“The bit about waiting for Ken Ofori-Atta to come before he is prosecuted, I find it a bit problematic because we can try him in absentia,” he said. “Even in his absence, something can be done.”

The call carries particular weight given the PAC’s constitutional mandate to examine government accounts and hold public officials to financial scrutiny. The committee has direct institutional knowledge of the financial practices that may form the basis of any prosecution, making its Vice Chairman’s advocacy for expedited legal action a significant development.

Ofori-Atta served as Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024, a period that encompassed Ghana’s worst economic crisis in a generation, including a sovereign debt default, an International Monetary Fund bailout and soaring inflation that eroded household incomes across the country. Public anger over his stewardship of the economy has made any discussion of his accountability politically charged.

The question of whether Ghana can effectively prosecute a former minister residing abroad hinges on several legal and diplomatic factors. Former Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has argued that nothing stops the Office of the Special Prosecutor from pursuing the Ofori-Atta case despite the US residency ruling, provided the evidence is sufficient and international cooperation can be secured.

Opoku Ansah urged the state to present its evidence to American authorities, arguing that a well-documented case could prompt cooperation from US law enforcement. “Once I am sure the American authorities also get to see evidence that is readily available for everybody to verify on their own, they may also believe what the state is saying,” he said.

For now, the former minister remains in the United States, and his lawyer insists no formal charges have been communicated. Whether the state takes up the PAC Vice Chairman’s challenge to begin proceedings in absentia will be a test of both legal resolve and political will in a country still grappling with the economic consequences of decisions made under Ofori-Atta’s watch.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE