President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to return to Ghana and face ongoing legal processes, urging him to honour his previous claim that he was like a father who could not abandon his children.
Speaking during the Citizens’ Engagement at the Ho Technical University as part of his Resetting Ghana Tour of the Volta Region on Friday, July 17, President Mahama said Mr Ofori-Atta should return home to address the matters for which authorities are seeking his presence.
The President recalled comments made by the former Finance Minister during calls for his removal from office, when more than 80 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament petitioned then-President Nana Akufo-Addo to dismiss him.
According to President Mahama, Mr Ofori-Atta had described himself as a father responsible for his children and argued that he could not abandon them.
“You held the most sensitive position as finance minister and at the point when your own members of parliament, 80 of them signed an application that the president should remove you, you said something historic, you said you are like the father of children and that you can’t run away and leave your children,” he said.
“So if we Ghanaians are your children, we are calling you, we are begging you, father come back, your children are calling you to come back.”
President Mahama questioned why a person who believes they have done nothing wrong would remain outside the country instead of returning to defend themselves.
“If you are a man of principle and you believe you have done nothing wrong, I don’t see why you should flee your own country,” he stated.
He, however, stressed that any attempt to bring Mr Ofori-Atta back must follow due legal procedures and respect his rights.
The President explained that extradition is governed by international legal arrangements and requires a formal request, after which courts in the country where the individual is located determine whether the person should be returned.
“He has a right to take a lawyer, go before a judge, and if he doesn’t want to come, argue against coming. Eventually, it will go before an American judge who will decide whether the gentleman should be put on a plane and brought back,” he said.
President Mahama assured that should Mr Ofori-Atta return, he would have the opportunity to defend himself before Ghana’s judicial system.
“We believe in the judicial system of our country. He will have the best of lawyers to defend him,” he added.
He disclosed that the Attorney General’s Department has already begun steps towards securing the former minister’s return, including filing the necessary application and responding to additional documentation requests.
“The Attorney General’s Department has done its best, it filed the application, there are some additional documents that were asked for that it is filing and eventually it will all go before an American judge to make a decision,” President Mahama said.
He further warned that refusing to return could leave unresolved questions about Mr Ofori-Atta’s legacy.
“But if he doesn’t come back, then it means he leaves a cloud of doubt over his head forever, and over his children and grandchildren. So, we’ll see how things play out,” he said.
Mr Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister under the previous administration, is currently outside Ghana as authorities pursue legal avenues to secure his return.
