The Human Rights Division of the High Court has dismissed an application by former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta seeking permission to amend his writ and compel the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to disclose additional documents.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday, November 25.
Mr Ofori-Atta is currently pursuing a civil action challenging his classification by the OSP as a “wanted person” and contesting the arrest warrant issued for him earlier this year. In March 2025, he filed a lawsuit against the OSP, arguing that the publication of the “wanted” notice violated his rights to dignity, public image, administrative fairness, and due process.
In its decision, the court held that the documents sought by the former minister were “unnecessary” for the determination of the matter and imposed a cost of GHS 5,000 on him for what it described as “wasting the court’s time.”
The court is expected to deliver its substantive ruling on the request to amend the original writ on December 12, 2025.
Following the ruling, the OSP issued a statement on Facebook, noting:
> “The Human Rights Court this morning dismissed an application by Kenneth Ofori-Atta seeking leave to amend his writ and to obtain discovery. This matter is one of several suits filed by Mr Ofori-Atta challenging his designation as a wanted person and the arrest warrant on which that designation was based. The Court held that the documents requested were unnecessary and awarded costs of GHS 5,000 against the applicant for wasting the Court’s time. The substantive ruling on the request to amend the writ has been adjourned to 12 December 2025.”
Background
The OSP declared Mr Ofori-Atta a wanted person in February 2025 after he failed to honour an invitation for questioning in connection with ongoing corruption-related investigations.
His legal team submitted a medical report indicating that he was receiving treatment abroad, but the OSP dismissed the document as inadequate and insufficient to justify his absence.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s name was subsequently removed from the wanted list after he pledged to return to Ghana to assist with investigations. However, the OSP reinstated him after he failed to appear on the agreed date.
In addition to the domestic legal battles, Mr Ofori-Atta is contesting an INTERPOL Red Notice issued at the request of the OSP, which seeks international assistance in locating and apprehending him.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku