It has been months since former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was declared a fugitive wanted for a number of crimes by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and placed on the INTERPOL Red Alert Notice database.

Despite the search for Ofori-Atta by the 196 nations that are part of INTERPOL, including the United States and the United Kingdom, where he is believed to have been sighted since leaving Ghana, the former finance minister is still at large.

Several reports have indicated that Ofori-Atta is now in the United States (US), where he is receiving some medical treatment.

The reports also suggest that the US government has concluded that the investigation against him by Ghana’s security agencies does not amount to witch-hunting and has agreed to return him to Ghana.

The latest news about the former minister is a viral picture of him supposedly taking a stroll on a street in the US with his wife.
But, is this picture authentic?

Ken Ofori-Atta declared wanted on INTERPOL's Red Notice list

Analysis of the image

An analysis of the said image, using fact-check tools, showed that it was not doctored or AI-generated.

The image showed the former finance minister with his wife, Professor Angela Ofori-Atta, walking on a street.



A forensic analysis of the image gave details that matched the description of Ofori-Atta in the wanted notice by the OSP — a man who is about 1.7 metres tall with short dark hair and a dark complexion.

The analysis also gave details that matched the description of Professor Angela Ofori-Atta.

Ken Ofori-Atta, who was on the left, could be seen wearing a black suit jacket, white shirt, black trousers, and carrying a light-coloured backpack.

His wife was wearing a dark outfit (possibly a blazer and trousers).

When and where the image was taken:



The said image had no metadata — the date the image was taken, the camera it was taken with, the time it was taken, and other details.

Also, a reverse-image–style search could not find an exact match for this photo online, which implies that it was either taken recently or uploaded recently.

However, the search confirmed that the image was taken on a street in the United States.



The background of the image, including the storefront, the large glass windows of the building, the crosswalk in front, and the heavy pedestrian infrastructure, matches CityCenterDC or Capitol Crossing, better than more residential locations.

The image most likely shows the Tatte Bakery & Café at CityCenterDC, 1090 I Street NW, Washington, DC.

US State Department, FBI 'clear' Ken Ofori-Atta's extradition request - Report

The crimes Ofori-Atta has been accused of:

The OSP is investigating the former minister for corruption-related offences in the following cases:

- Contractual arrangements between Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited and the Ghana Revenue Authority, aimed at enhancing revenue assurance in the downstream petroleum sector, upstream petroleum production, and the minerals and metals resources value chain.

- Termination of a contract between the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited and Beijing Xiao Cheng Technology (BXC) for the Distribution, Loss Reduction, and Associated Network Improvement Project.

- Procurement of contractors, materials, and payments related to the National Cathedral project.

- Activities and payments associated with a contract awarded by the Ministry of Health (initially commenced by the Ministry for Special Development Initiatives) to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the purchase and after-sales service and maintenance of 307 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 305 CDI ambulances for the National Ambulance Service.

- Payments and utilisation of funds from the Tax Refund Account of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem Sai, has also indicated that Ken Ofori-Atta is being investigated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) for similar allegations.

BAI/AE

Mixed reactions greet DStv package upgrades



Mamponteng Chief drags Prophet Roja to court for saying 'he would die soon'