Pressure group Arise Ghana has accused former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta of attempting to evade accountability by allegedly relying on videos of a protest at the United States Embassy in Accra to argue that Ghana is unsafe for him and that he cannot receive a fair trial in the country.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Arise Ghana described the argument reportedly advanced by Mr Ofori-Atta’s legal team before US immigration authorities as untenable and an insult to the intelligence of Ghanaians and the international community.
The group was reacting to disclosures by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, concerning the alleged use of footage from a demonstration organised by Arise Ghana and other concerned citizens at the US Embassy in Accra.
The statement, signed by Richard Kasu, Secretary of Arise Ghana, indicates that the protest was organised to demand the former Finance Minister’s return to Ghana to respond to allegations of financial malfeasance arising from his tenure in government.
According to Arise Ghana, the demonstration was peaceful and lawful, representing the constitutional right of citizens to demand transparency and accountability from public officials.
The group argued that portraying such a demonstration as evidence that Ghana is unsafe effectively criminalises the exercise of democratic rights.
“To turn that call for justice into evidence of danger is to criminalise citizens for exercising their constitutional right to protest. In fact, it is a perverse reading of democracy,” the statement said.
Arise Ghana alleges deliberate attempt to frustrate extradition
Arise Ghana further accused Mr Ofori-Atta’s legal team of advancing what it described as a calculated strategy to frustrate Ghana’s extradition efforts and shield the former minister from accountability.
The group maintained that the legal arguments were based on fear rather than established facts, alleging that the objective was to prevent Mr Ofori-Atta from returning to Ghana to answer questions surrounding his stewardship of the public purse.
It insisted that no individual should be allowed to use a peaceful demonstration demanding accountability as justification for avoiding the country’s judicial process.
“If he has nothing to hide, he should come home and clear his name in our courts,” the statement declared.
Addressing concerns about the fairness of judicial proceedings in Ghana, the pressure group pointed to Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution, which establish the independence of the judiciary and safeguard its institutional autonomy.
Arise Ghana argued that Ghana’s courts have handled numerous high-profile cases over the years and rejected suggestions that a former Finance Minister would be denied a fair trial.
It described any attempt to portray Ghana’s judicial system as incapable of delivering justice as an affront to the country’s democratic institutions and the confidence of its citizens.
Group calls on US authorities to support extradition request
Following the reported disclosures, Arise Ghana outlined two major demands.
First, it called on the United States Department of Justice and US immigration authorities to dismiss what it described as misleading arguments and cooperate fully with Ghana’s extradition request concerning Mr Ofori-Atta.
Second, the group urged the former Finance Minister to return voluntarily to Ghana and submit himself to the due process of the law.
It warned that continued absence from the country could deepen public suspicion and undermine public confidence in efforts to secure accountability.
Reaffirming its commitment to accountability and the protection of democratic rights, Arise Ghana maintained that the people of Ghana deserve answers concerning the management of public funds during Mr Ofori-Atta’s tenure as Finance Minister.
The group concluded that neither protest footage, legal technicalities nor public relations strategies could suppress legitimate public demands for accountability.
By Richard Bright Addo
