The High Court in Accra has granted the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) an additional four weeks to complete the service of summons on former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and his former Chief of Cabinet, Ernest Darko Akore, in the United States. This decision was made on September 29, 2026, and has resulted in a further adjournment of the case. Proceedings are now scheduled to continue on October 29, 2026.
At the hearing on September 29, the prosecution informed the court that a team dispatched to the United States to engage the US Department of Justice over the service of the summons had not yet returned to Ghana. The prosecution therefore requested more time to complete the necessary processes, a request that was granted by the court. This development is part of a long-standing case involving Ofori-Atta and Akore.
Ofori-Atta is standing trial on 28 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences. These charges arise from investigations by the OSP into revenue assurance arrangements involving Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The OSP alleges that the accused persons were involved in corruption and related offences connected to the SML-GRA arrangements.
The alleged corruption and related offences resulted in financial losses exceeding GH¢1.4 billion. Other accused persons in the case include former GRA Commissioners-General Emmanuel Kofi Nti and Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah; former Customs Division Commissioners Isaac Crentsil and Kwadwo Damoah; Ernest Darko Akore; SML Chief Executive Officer Evans Adusei; and SML. Those who have been served with court processes have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the previous hearing on August 27, 2026, the court adjourned the case to September 29 to give the prosecution additional time to serve Ofori-Atta and Akore with the summons in the United States. The case is part of a broader series of prosecutions initiated by the OSP. These prosecutions were temporarily affected by legal challenges concerning the Office’s prosecutorial authority.
Several OSP cases were put on hold from April 2026 after a High Court ruling raised questions about the Office’s ability to prosecute independently of the Attorney-General. However, the Supreme Court subsequently upheld, in a unanimous decision, the constitutional validity of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959). This paved the way for the affected cases to proceed.
The OSP's investigations into the SML-GRA arrangements are ongoing, with a focus on recovering the alleged financial losses. The Office is working to conclude the case and bring the accused persons to justice. The additional time granted by the court will allow the OSP to complete the necessary processes and ensure that all parties are properly served.
Key points
- The High Court in Accra granted the OSP an additional four weeks to serve summons on Ofori-Atta and Akore in the US.
- The case involves 28 counts of corruption and corruption-related offences related to SML-GRA arrangements.
- The alleged corruption resulted in financial losses exceeding GH¢1.4 billion.
