ACCRA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Interpol has deleted the red notice alert placed on Ghana's former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) confirmed in a statement late Friday.
According to the OSP, the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files determined that the notice violated its rules and ordered it to be permanently removed.
"The Commission directed the deletion of the notice under Interpol's rules on political neutrality and notice processing, citing contextual factors at the time of issuance, including 'polarized political statements from members of current and former administrations about the conduct of the investigation,'" read the statement.
It also cited public controversy surrounding the prosecutorial and extradition processes, including "public acknowledgement by senior officials at the Ministry of Justice of an inability, at the time, to pursue extradition due to the early procedural stage of the case."
The OSP said the commission further observed that subsequent developments made the notice unnecessary. The location of the former Ghanaian minister is known, and cooperation with American authorities on his extradition processes has already been initiated following his arrest last month in the United States.
It added that a summons issued by a High Court in Accra has been transmitted for service in the United States, requiring the appearance of Ofori-Atta to answer multiple criminal charges. Efforts to secure his appearance continue through established legal and diplomatic channels.
Ghanaian authorities, led by the OSP, are pursuing the former finance minister, who served under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, over his alleged involvement in high-profile corruption, financial misconduct, and abuse of office, which led to him being declared a wanted person.
Ofori-Atta left Ghana in January last year to seek medical care in the United States. Attempts by the new administration to compel him to return to respond to the allegations proved futile, prompting the OSP to request Interpol to issue the red notice alert against him. ■