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0 The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has permanently deleted the Red Notice alert it issued against former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta at the request of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), lawyers for the embattled former government official have revealed.
In a release issued today, Friday, 13th February 2026, Ofori-Atta’s lead counsel, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo of the law firm Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline & Partners, stated that the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF) has communicated the removal to Mr Ofori-Atta.
The lawyers said the international police body’s oversight commission determined that the request for Ofori-Atta’s arrest was of a “predominantly political character” and failed to comply with the organisation’s strict neutrality rules.
The ruling, issued during the CCF’s 135th Session held on 4th February 2026, represents a significant blow to the state’s efforts to extradite the former minister, who has been at the centre of a multi-billion Ghana cedi investigation into the management of Ghana’s economy and controversial deals.
The statement disclosed that the CCF’s decision was based on a “thorough examination” of the data registered by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) of Ghana.
Under Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, the organisation is strictly forbidden from undertaking any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious, or racial character.
The Commission found that the challenged data registered by Ghana were “not compliant with INTERPOL’s rules.”
- Permanent Deletion: The Red Notice shall be “deleted from INTERPOL’s files permanently.”
- Political Persecution: The CCF explicitly noted that the notice “appears of a predominantly political character,” essentially endorsing the defence’s claim of state-sponsored harassment.
“After a thorough examination of the elements before it, the commission found that the challenged data registered by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) of Ghana were not compliant with INTERPOL’s rules and decided that they should be deleted from the INTERPOL information system,” the statement from Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers quoted the CCF.
The pursuit of Ken Ofori-Atta has been a cornerstone of the government’s anti-corruption drive.
The state initiated investigations into several high-profile financial transactions under Ofori-Atta’s tenure, which saw Ghana’s debt balloon to over GH¢600 billion and led to a historic $3 billion IMF bailout.
In the public statement today, Mr Ofori-Atta’s lead counsel hailed the decision as a vindication of his client’s position.
The legal team has long argued that the charges were a “political vendetta” designed to scapegoat the former minister for broader global economic headwinds.
The permanent deletion of the Red Notice effectively grants Ken Ofori-Atta unrestricted international travel and significantly complicates any further attempts by the Attorney-General to secure his physical presence in Ghana via international cooperation.
