Legal practitioner and scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare has strongly criticised claims by lawyers representing former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta that the ongoing legal actions against him are politically motivated.
Describing the argument as hollow, theatrical, and detached from legal reality, Kwaku Azar, as he is popularly known, questioned the claim by Ofori-Atta’s lawyers that their client is “fully committed to complying with the laws of Ghana” while simultaneously remaining outside the country and beyond the reach of local jurisdiction.
Ken Ofori-Atta’s international lawyer speaks on his extradition saga
According to him, this reveals a glaring contradiction.
“On Christmas Eve, we are being told that Oga is ‘fully committed to complying with the laws of Ghana’ while remaining outside the jurisdiction, sidestepping lawful processes, and subcontracting accountability to BBC interviews. That alone would be funny if it weren’t tragic. Accountability is not a podcast. It requires presence, process, and submission to jurisdiction,” he posted on Facebook on December 24, 2025.
He argued that the claim of political motivation collapses under basic scrutiny, noting that the case is not being pursued by a hostile opposition or a new administration seeking retribution.
“The case is not being driven by an opposition Attorney-General or a new government seeking revenge. It is being pursued by a Special Prosecutor appointed by the previous government. You are charged together with several others, including private individuals and entities, on allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and violations of public revenue and procurement procedures. That is the textbook opposite of a political witch-hunt. Political prosecutions isolate political opponents; they do not bundle politicians and private actors into the same factual matrix of alleged wrongdoing,” he argued.
Professor Asare emphasised that the charges involve several others, including private individuals and entities, over allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and breaches of procurement and public revenue laws.
He further noted that the structure of the case, focused on contracts, procurement systems, and revenue flows, makes the persecution claim appear less analytical and more performative.
“When a case is framed around procurement structures, revenue flows, contracts, and institutional processes, and sweeps in actors without political profiles, the claim of persecution starts to look less like analysis and more like theatre,” he said.
He also contrasted Ofori-Atta’s position with that of other high-ranking officials from the same administration.
“Meanwhile, the former President, former Vice-President, and a long list of ministers from the same administration are freely roaming the country, giving interviews, attending events, living openly. None claims persecution. None is abroad pleading victimhood. So, what exactly is ‘political’ here? It seems more of a fallback slogan than a serious argument,” he stated.
He maintained that Ghana’s constitutional framework already provides remedies for anyone who believes a process is flawed.
Meet Ken Ofori-Atta’s ‘top-notch’ international lawyer
“You cannot be selectively absent, cry foul from overseas, and still demand the moral high ground. If the process is defective, the Constitution provides a remedy: come home, go to court, and challenge it. Political motivation is not proven by press releases and foreign interviews; it is tested through lawful engagement,” he concluded.
