A major diplomatic embarrassment has hit Ghana after INTERPOL abruptly withdrew the Red Notice issued for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, following damning objections from his legal team.
The lawyers told INTERPOL that the request from Ghana was illegally and politically motivated, violating the organisation’s strict rules—which bar member states from weaponising the global policing system for political vendettas or for administrative matters like procurement and public financial management.
They also argued that Ghana had no legitimate basis to seek a Red Notice because no charges had been filed in a court with jurisdiction over the matter.
INTERPOL’s swift removal of the notice came immediately after the OSP announced charges—an action that reportedly confirmed the procedural violations highlighted by Ofori-Atta’s lawyers.
Security analysts warn that the incident risks dragging Ghana’s international reputation toward that of countries notorious for abusing INTERPOL, including Syria, Russia, North Korea, and the UAE.
