Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has clarified that his office could not stop former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from leaving the country during the transition period.
Speaking on the KSM Show, as monitored by MyNewsGh, Mr. Agyebeng explained that Mr. Ofori-Atta travelled out of Ghana between January 1 and January 6, a period when the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) had no operational support from state security agencies.
He noted that the OSP had no authority or control over the country’s exit points at the time and could not depend on the Immigration Service or National Security to act on its behalf.
According to him, this limitation made it impossible for his office to restrict the former minister’s movement during that period.
“We saw him leave, but we couldn’t prevent him from leaving because we couldn’t. We don’t control the exit points,” he noted. He added that calls and official communications for assistance were ignored, making it impossible to act.
According to him, the environment then was hostile and institutions appeared determined to sideline the OSP. “It was as if there was a policy of ‘block the OSP out.’
We were powerless,” he said. He pointed out that Ofori-Atta had left at a time when his cousin was still President, describing the period as one where the OSP had no leverage and no security backup.
Agyebeng indicated that conditions have changed under the current administration, stating that the OSP can now rely on immigration and national security agencies to execute its mandate when travel restrictions or enforcement actions are required.
Credit: Mynewsgh.com
