The Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has confirmed that his office has formally submitted a request for the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and an alleged accomplice, Ernest Darko Akore, from the United States.
Dr. Ayine disclosed this on Thursday, December 18, 2025, during the government’s Accountability Series, explaining that the extradition process was initiated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) on November 19, 2025, when it formally requested the commencement of proceedings against the two individuals.
According to the Attorney-General, the move represents a key step in investigations into the former finance minister’s alleged involvement in causing financial loss to the state in relation to the Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) case.
Dr. Ayine noted that an initial review by the International Cooperation Unit of the Attorney-General’s Department identified gaps in the documentation submitted by the OSP, which needed to be addressed to comply with legal and procedural requirements.
“As a result, we communicated our observations to the Office of the Special Prosecutor in a letter dated November 25 and requested additional documentation to ensure completeness,” he said.
He added that the OSP responded on December 9, 2025, submitting supplementary documents and addressing all concerns, thereby finalising the extradition request package.
The Attorney-General further stated that the completed request was forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 10, 2025, for onward transmission to the relevant authorities in the United States, particularly the US Department of Justice.
Dr. Ayine emphasised that the next stage of the process now rests with the American authorities.
“At this point, it is left to the authorities of the United States, especially the judicial authorities, to determine whether there is sufficient basis for the two accused persons to be extradited to Ghana to stand trial,” he said.
