Pressure group Arise Ghana has accused former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta of attempting to evade accountability by allegedly using videos of a protest staged at the United States Embassy in Accra to support claims that Ghana is unsafe for him to return home and face trial. The group described the argument reportedly advanced by Ofori-Atta’s legal team before US immigration authorities as misleading, shameful and an insult to the intelligence of Ghanaians.

In a statement issued on November 5, 2026, Arise Ghana said it had taken note of disclosures by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith, that lawyers representing the former Finance Minister had relied on footage of the group’s protest to argue that their client could not receive a fair trial in Ghana.

Protest Was a Call for Accountability

Arise Ghana insisted that the demonstration at the US Embassy in Accra was a peaceful and lawful exercise of citizens’ constitutional right to protest. According to the group, the demonstration, organised alongside other concerned Ghanaians, was intended to demand Ofori-Atta’s return to the country to answer allegations of financial malfeasance during his tenure as Finance Minister. It argued that portraying the protest as evidence that Ghana was unsafe amounted to criminalising citizens for exercising their democratic rights.

The group described such an interpretation as a “perverse reading of democracy”, stressing that peaceful demonstrations demanding accountability should not be misconstrued as threats to the safety of individuals.

Accuses Former Minister’s Lawyers of Delaying Extradition

The pressure group further accused Ofori-Atta’s legal team of advancing what it described as a calculated strategy to frustrate Ghana’s extradition request and prevent the former minister from facing accountability. Arise Ghana maintained that the legal arguments being presented were based on fear rather than facts, suggesting that the alleged use of protest footage was intended to create an impression that Ofori-Atta would not receive justice in Ghana.

The group challenged the former Finance Minister to return voluntarily and clear his name before the country’s courts if he had nothing to hide.

“No person should be allowed to hide behind a protest demanding justice to claim he is too unsafe to face justice,” the statement stressed.

Defends Ghana’s Judiciary

Arise Ghana also rejected suggestions that Ghana’s judicial system was incapable of providing Ofori-Atta with a fair trial. It cited Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution, which provide for judicial independence, arguing that Ghana’s courts have handled numerous high-profile cases fairly.

According to the group, questioning the ability of the country’s judiciary to dispense justice to a former Finance Minister undermines the credibility of Ghana’s democratic institutions and the confidence millions of citizens have in the legal system.

Calls on US Authorities to Support Extradition

Following the reported disclosures, Arise Ghana made two major demands.

First, it called on the United States Department of Justice and immigration authorities to dismiss what it described as misleading arguments and cooperate fully with Ghana’s extradition request.

Second, it urged Ofori-Atta to return voluntarily to Ghana and submit himself to due process, warning that his continued absence could deepen public suspicion.

The group maintained that the allegations surrounding the management of public funds during his tenure as Finance Minister required answers in the interest of transparency and accountability.

Says Ghana’s Courts Must Not Be Undermined

Concluding its statement, Arise Ghana invoked the principle that “justice delayed is justice denied”, insisting that no amount of protest footage, legal technicalities or public relations efforts could suppress the demand for accountability.

“Ghana is safe. Our courts are safe. What is not safe, however, is the culture of impunity,” the statement declared.

The statement was signed by Richard Kasu, Secretary of Arise Ghana, and Dramani Selorm Dzramado, a leading member of the pressure group.