Ken Ofori-Atta set for prostate cancer surgery on June 13; OSP insists it is yet to be informed
Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is expected to undergo surgery on June 13, 2025, at the Mayo Clinic in the United States.
This was contained in a medical letter from the clinic’s Department of Urology, published by Asaase Radio—an outlet founded by his relative and former legal representative, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
However, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in a reaction to the letter in a press release said: "To date, no certified medical records or official document from any hospital authority has been submitted to the OSP indicating that Mr. Ofori-Atta is incapacitated or unable to travel to Ghana".
Letter
The letter, reportedly from the Department of Urology at the U.S. medical institution, indicated that the diagnosis followed a series of diagnostic tests, including MRI scans and a biopsy.
Dr Paras Shah is scheduled to lead the surgical procedure. The letter also noted that Mr Ofori-Atta would need a period of post-operative recovery before he could return to Ghana.
The revelation comes amid escalating legal tension between the former minister and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which recently declared him a wanted person for failing to appear for questioning.
The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, confirmed at a press conference on Monday, June 2, 2025, that Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyers had, in a letter dated May 28, 2025, informed the OSP of the cancer diagnosis and the scheduled surgery, stating that it would prevent their client from returning to Ghana in time to respond to the summons.
“By a letter dated 28 May 2025, Mr Ofori-Atta’s lawyer informed the Special Prosecutor that a medical expert has diagnosed Mr Ofori-Atta with cancer and has earmarked 13 June 2025 for treatment, for which reason he will be unable to return to the jurisdiction as scheduled,” Mr Agyebeng told journalists.
Despite this, the Special Prosecutor expressed dissatisfaction with the information provided, insisting that the office had not received any official medical records to verify the diagnosis.
“His lawyers stated that, to the knowledge of the OSP, this change in circumstance has been brought to the attention of the court before,” Mr Agyebeng said, noting that no verifiable documentation had been submitted to support the claim.
Following the disclosure, the OSP reiterated that Mr Ofori-Atta remains a wanted person and has been declared a fugitive from justice due to his failure to comply with the investigative process.
“We want him here physically, and we insist on it,” Mr Agyebeng stated. “A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations and the methods suitable to him and his convenience. We will not countenance this conduct, not in this case.”
OSP rebuttal
In a subsequent press release dated June 3, 2025, the OSP further clarified that it had not received any medical letter from Mr Ofori-Atta or his legal team.
“The only correspondence received from his legal representatives is a letter notifying the OSP of a change in his medical condition and on their say so,” the release said.
It added that it was notable the purported medical letter had been circulated in the media rather than submitted officially to the investigative body.
“To date, no certified medical records or official document from any hospital authority has been submitted to the OSP indicating that Mr Ofori-Atta is incapacitated or unable to travel to Ghana,” the office stated.
Mr Ofori-Atta is under investigation for alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as Finance Minister, a probe that has become one of the most high-profile cases pursued by the Special Prosecutor since the office was established to tackle corruption in public service.
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